Naruto  God's Eyes
by Corruptmonk
Summary: Naruto awakened his family bloodline, the Kamigan, after a brutal attack by the villagers of Konoha. However, Kyuubi's influence turned it into something else. The birth of a new bloodline. AU in some but mostly follow CANON.
1. Chapter 1  Awakened Eyes

**Chapter 1: Awakened Eyes**

Konohagakure no Sato is considered as one of the strongest villages in the Elemental Nations. The village known for its extraordinary strength in the shinobi arts easily rose from the devastation caused by the Kyuubi attack 8 years ago. Peace has reigned in the village after a few years of the destruction but was relatively broken by the sound of a mob chasing an 8 year old boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and 3 whisker marks on both his cheeks. The boy's name is Uzumaki Naruto.

The boy, Uzumaki Naruto, was used to this kind of treatment from the villagers. He didn't know the reason why he is being hated and that he deserved this kind of animosity from everyone, but his 8-year old mind was busy trying to find ways to survive from his current ordeal than to ponder the mysteries that seemed to pronounce this fate.

Despite his malnourished state, Naruto used his small body to outrun the mob. His stamina was considered the best in the village, able to outrun the ANBU or Chunnins chasing him to catch him in one of his pranks; but it seems like today is not one of his lucky days. He found himself in one of the dead-end alleys that blocked his escape. He tried to find a way out of this predicament but, alas, he resigned himself to his fate for another round of beatings.

"Finally we caught you demon brat." A villager shouted after cornering the cowering blond holding a pitchfork in front of him, ready to impale the boy.

"Today we are going to finish what the Yondaime started. We are going to kill you demon." Another villager ranted, brandishing a cleaver. Shouts of "kill the demon", "destroy the brat" and other expletives were coming out of the crowd. For Naruto, all of this means nothing but a load of pain and suffering if he ever gets out of this alive.

The first attack came in the form of kunais which he barely avoided except for a couple impaling him on the legs and shoulders. It seems that there were also ninjas in the group but the lack of the usual shinobi garb hid their presence well. The rest of the villagers took this as a signal to start their vengeance and fell on the boy with their chosen weapons.

He was stabbed in the stomach with a kunai, his arms were sliced by a cleaver, his right shoulder was stabbed by a pitchfork. He was beaten to every inch of his life which left him with bruises and more bleeding. He was in unbearable pain; his entire body ached from the various stab wounds and cuts. He was curled on the alley floor and tried to stand but a sudden pain made him fall back on the ground gasping for breath, it seems that his legs were broken, as well as his left arm. Despite the torture that he went through, he was still conscious.

"Why? What…did…I do… to you people?" he gasped out, tears leaking out from his face.

One of the villagers looked at him, sneering. "Why you ask? Because you are a demon! We are just exercising our civic duty to finish what the Fourth started… TO KILL YOU AND END YOUR MISERABLE EXISTENCE DEMON." With that, he swung down his katana, aiming to decapitate the boy.

Naruto saw the sword and time seemed to slow down. His pitiful existence flashed before his very eyes. He recalled all the beatings, the ridicule, and the insult. He was wondering why he was clinging to life so hard and it would be a blessing for him to just die and meet his parents in the afterlife. But before he was about to give up, he recalled one conversation he had with his surrogate grandfather, the Hokage, during one of their ramen trips.

(FLASHBACK)

_Naruto was enjoying his fifth bowl of ramen with his Hokage-jiji. He enjoyed hanging out with the old man that he treated as a grandfather, along with the Ichiraku Ramen family that fed him when he was out of food. _

_In fact, there were only a few people in Konoha that treated Naruto like one of them. One of them being the Hokage, the Ichiraku family consisting of old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, and of course the two ANBU guards that he considered as older brothers, Weasel and Dog. _

_The Hokage was astounded with Naruto's spirit. Despite being subjected to the villager's stupidity and constant beatings, he was still that little ball of energy with a smile on his face that he loved – someone that he considered to be his grandson. _

"_So Naruto, what are your plans in the future?" the Hokage asked while the boy was about to start on his sixth bowl. _

_Naruto paused his attack on the poor ramen bowl and thought for a bit. "Well, I want to gain the villager's respect. I'll do anything to make them love me." He declared with a fierce determination that reminded the Hokage of the 'Will of Fire' that the Shodaime and Nidaime preached during his apprenticeship. _

"_Well, my boy, how are you planning to do that?" The Hokage asked, amused over the boy's declaration. _

"_I'M GOING TO BECOME THE STRONGEST NINJA IN THE WORLD!" shouted Naruto which made the old man laugh in amusement._

"_Ohhhhhh that is quite a claim my boy." _

"_I WILL BECOME THE BEST JIJI AND I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT HAT AWAY FROM YOU WHEN I DO!" The boy declared, his eyes burning with determination. The Hokage didn't doubt that the boy would deliver his promise in the future and he would be more than happy to give it to him when the time is right._

"_Well, if you want to become a ninja then you need to be attend the Academy soon." He mused. _

"_Really? Great! I'm going to be a ninja!" the boy bounced on his seat, excited over the prospect of getting started on his dream. _

"_Relax Naruto. You're still too young to join the Academy, but you will soon. I promise you that." said the Hokage. _

"_Sure jiji." The boy quipped then suddenly gave him a foxy grin. "Hey jiji, can I try your hat on." giving him the puppy look. He really hated Naruto when he resorted to this deadly weapon of mass destruction. He coughed and looked away to avoid the temptation in giving into his demands. _

"_Oh no you don't Naruto. Finish your bowl of ramen so I can get you home for the night." Said the Hokage, laughing at Naruto's defeated face. This has been one of their favorite game, Naruto trying to coax the Kage hat away from him. They've been at this since Naruto was 3 years old. _

_Naruto just shrugged and backed down for now and attacked the innocent ramen bowl in front of him. He will get the hat soon enough and achieve his dream. _

(END OF FLASHBACK)

When he recalled the memory, determination gripped his entire being. He will NOT give up now. He will continue to live until he achieved his goal to become the strongest ninja in the world and take the hat away from the old man.

A sudden warmth seemed to flow from his stomach and seems to flow to every part of his body, washing away the aches and pains. He didn't notice that the various cuts and bruises healed, his entire body covered by a mysterious light. He felt the warmth spread over his body and onto his eyes then the world exploded in a world of colors, red, blue, green, brown, and white.

The villagers were scared; one moment they were beating the crap out of the demon brat and was about to shout for joy as one of their number deliver a decapitating swing to end the demon's life when something happened that shook them to the very core of their being.

The boy's body was suddenly covered by a multi-colored aura. The sword swing was stopped in its track by a sudden wall of wind that blew the items in the alley floor all over the place. The boy threw his right arm out, palm forward and a sudden wall of water appeared that pushed everyone back, including the one that was about to end his life.

They mob was sputtering and started to pull themselves back on their feet when they noticed the boy at the end of the alley. The shock that hit them was nothing compared to the emotions that they felt when they saw the boy, standing, all of his wounds started healing in front of their eyes. But that is not what caused them to almost wet themselves.

The aura surrounded the boy separated into five, one for each color, and formed a ball.

The red aura formed into a sphere of fire and placed itself beside the boy a few inches beside his right thigh, releasing wisps of smoke as if it burned the very air around it.

The blue aura formed into water that appeared out of thin air; and settled beside the left thigh, releasing small drop of water that fell on the alley floor.

The green seemed to be a ball of wind, spinning like a small tornado on the boy's right arm.

The brown aura absorbed the loose earth at the boy's feet forming a spinning ball of rocks and dirt on the boy's left.

The white ball seemed to cackle with electricity and situated itself on top of the boy's head.

However, what they saw that almost shit themselves was the boy's eyes. The iris was now a solid gold and the pupil was replaced by a five-pointed inverted star and glowing an eerie white.

* * *

><p>Dog, one of the Hokage's personal ANBU, was speeding to the location where he felt a huge spike of chakra on the west side of the village. It was supposed to be his turn to watch Naruto but the latest release of his Icha Icha series was none to be ignored. The chakra spike was Naruto and that only spelled trouble.<p>

He arrived at a scene that made his blood run cold and his rage almost overwhelming him. The mob cornered Naruto in one of the deserted alleys in the commercial district and one of them was about to swing his sword to behead his charge.

He was about to interfere when something happened that almost made him shit in his pants. What he saw made him curse. "Oh shit."

* * *

><p>Naruto was standing. The energy that he felt disappeared but it left him refreshed and the lingering warmth made him feel powerful, invincible even. He saw that the mob was a few feet away from him, staring at him with awe and fear that almost made him laugh. He checked himself to see why he wasn't hurting anymore but what he saw shocked him to the very core.<p>

There, surrounding him were 5 balls of something - two beside his thighs, 2 on his arms, and one just a bit above his head in front of him.

"_What...what is happening? What are these things?"_Naruto asked himself. He was brought out from his thoughts when one of the villagers shouted.

"The demon is doing something." A large villager shouted. "The demon is escaping." Another ranted. "Let's get him."

Two of the villagers charged forward, one carrying a cleaver and the other carrying the katana that almost chopped his head off. He crossed his arms to shield himself from their attacks when something happened that scared him.

The red ball flared and emitted a stream of red-hot fire that surrounded him, effectively cutting off the attack with a wall of flame. The charging villagers stopped their attacks and were starting at the wall of flame with fear in the eyes.

"_What just happened?" _thought Naruto, not believing what just happened. The red ball that looked like fire just protected him with a wall of flame. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a voice in the back of his head.

"_**Snap out of it kit. This is no time to solve the mysteries of the universe." **_the voice said sarcastically.

"_Who are you?" _asked Naruto, now freaking out because of what happened. The appearance of the wall of flame scared him but the voice in his head definitely freaked him out.

"_**Who I am will be answered later. You need to defend yourself against them." **_the voice commanded with urgency.

"_How am I supposed to do that? There are a lot of them and I can't run since I'm stuck." _demanded Naruto.

Naruto was pulled out from his rant when some of the villagers started throwing knives at him. Not knowing what to do, he instinctively threw his arms out, hoping to stop what was about to happen. This time, the ball of spiraling wind on his right seemed to sense his thoughts and release a strong gust of wind that blew the projectiles away from him.

"_Now what happened?"_ Not believing his eyes when the wind suddenly appeared and blew the flying kunais away from him.

"_**Man, you're practically an idiot."**_ The voice growled in amusement.

"_Hey! I'm not an idiot! Get out of my head, whoever you are."_ ranted Naruto.

"_**Ok kid, listen up. I'm not going to explain this again and we are in a hurry if we want to get out of this alive. Those 'things' floating around you will protect you. All you need to do is to will them to do so."**_

"_What?"_

"_**Now is not the time to give you an explanation. We can do that later when we are out of this mess. Just think of what you want them to do and they will do it. NOW ATTACK!"**_

Not wanting to get shouted at by the mysterious voice in his head he followed the advice. He commanded the wind to throw the villagers away…and it did. The ball of wind suddenly expanded and released a small tornado that tore threw the mob like a charging bull.

Pressing his advantage, he swung his left hand and pointed a finger at the group, willing the fire to scare them away. The wall of flames that surrounded him flared to life taking the form of a dragon and flew to the shivering mob, burning about half of them in the process. The screams they released made Naruto lose his concentration so both the flames and the wind died down.

One of the ninjas in the crowd saw this and threw another barrage of kunais, hoping to get a clean hit to end the demon's life. Naruto saw this and acted on instinct again, a wall of water appeared in front of him apparently fed by the blue orb on his side that protected him from the barrage.

Wanting to get out of this predicament as soon as possible, Naruto threw his arms forward, praying to get rid of the mob so he can go see the old man to explain what's happening. What happened was both amazing and scary at the same time.

The orb of light on top of his head released a relentless assault of pure lightning that practically tore through the mob, killing some of them while making the rest run like cowards. After a few minutes, the alley looked like it came out of a war zone. The mobs who were electrocuted were groaning in pain, while the rest were passed out from getting the worst shock of their life. Various scorches littered the walls and the alley floor was pockmarked with holes when hit by his attacks.

Naruto was on his knees, panting in exhaustion, but noticed that the five spheres where encircling him in a protective fashion. Seeing that there were no more threats around, he allowed himself to relax and to regain his lost breath.

"_**Nice work there kit. The last attack was a bit excessive but for your first time, it wasn't so bad."**_ complimented the voice. He was about to retort but the exhaustion was too much for him to handle so he blacked out into unconsciousness.

The Dog-masked ANBU was shocked to say the least. What he saw almost made him crap his pants. The kid, who was just 8 years old, released powerful elemental attacks and defense that made most Jounins look like toddlers. He was knocked out of his shock when he saw the boy fall into unconsciousness. He disappeared from his perch on the roof and appeared next to the boy and was surprised that the elemental spheres didn't attack him.

He made his way slowly to the unconscious boy, hoping that his approach won't trigger the boy's defense and was surprised that it didn't. He picked up the boy and ran to the hospital to have him checked and to report to the Hokage about what happened.


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting Kyuubi

**_2nd Chapter is up. This story is a bit fresh in a my mind so I'm going to keep writing till my ideas run out from the plot I thought up. I just realized that being in a boring road trip for 5 hours is definitely good for thinking up stories. Anyway, have fun reading and please REVIEW so that I can improve the story_.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Meeting Kyuubi<strong>

Naruto woke up facing the white-washed ceiling of the hospital. He hated the place. He always ends up in one of the medical wards after the beatings he gets from the villagers. He was lucky that he heals fast or else he would be staying here for months with the injuries he keeps getting from the mobs. One of the doctors that he befriended even joked once that he should get one of the beds plated with his name since he was a regular 'customer' of the place.

He looked around to realize that he was alone. From the lack of light, it would seem that it is already evening so he must have been sleeping for quite a while. He stretched out the kinks on his body and found the lack of pain from his earlier beating to be a blessing. He swore that Kami gifted him with it so he would remain alive from the beatings he gets from the villagers.

Seeing a pitcher of water on the table beside his bed, he proceeded to pour himself a cup to water down his parched throat. He remembered what happened and looked around. He noticed the absence of the colorful orbs that he saw during the encounter with the mobs. He was depressed about that though. Those skills that he demonstrated would have been very handy, not to mention that it would be cool to have around.

"_Everything that happened must have been a dream."_ thought Naruto.

"_**No kit. You didn't dream anything." **_He almost lost his grip on the glass of water he was holding. The voice was back. It wasn't a dream then.

"_You're there whoever you are. I thought everything that happened was a dream." _said Naruto, already freaking out. After all, he heard from one of the doctors that if you have a voice in your head that you talk to then you are definitely crazy.

"_**Nope. Not a dream. Everything you remembered from yesterday really happened." **_the voice replied with an amused tone.

"_If it wasn't a dream then how come I don't see any of those flying thingies." _challenged Naruto.

"_**Because the ability is turned off at the moment. It wouldn't be much of a bloodline if it's turned on all the time. I mean really, if you were a ninja, you would be spotted a mile away with your Elemental Orbs flying around you all the time."**_

"_Elemental Orbs?"_ asked Naruto, now confused with everything that happened.

"_**Come into your mind, all will be explained."**_

With that, Naruto felt his consciousness being grabbed by something. He passed out again for the second time that day, his glass of water forgotten.

* * *

><p>Naruto opened his eyes and saw himself in a sewer. He was in an ankle-deep of water with pipes all around him. The drips of water echoed from the distance.<p>

"**Well, what are you waiting for? Come to me."** the voice said, no longer in his head but seems to echo from all around him from somewhere.

"I would if I know where you are." grumbled Naruto. A dry chuckle echoed across the walls. One of the pipes beside him lit up, giving the place a reddish hue.

"**Follow the pipe, it will lead you to me." **the voice instructed. Seeing nothing else to do, Naruto followed the lit pipe to discover the source of the voice.

It didn't take long but after a few minutes of walking, he found himself in a wide cavern the size of the Hokage Tower. The walls were filled with pipes in varying colors – red, blue, white, green, and brown. It was mesmerizing to look at. On the far edge of the cavern was a giant cage with bars the size of his body. On the middle of the cage was a paper with the Kanji of 'Seal'.

"**Finally I get to meet my container for 8 long years. I've been waiting for you kit."** said the voice that seem to come from the darkness in the other side of the cage.

"Where are you? Or more importantly WHO are you?" asked Naruto, peering into the darkness of the cage to see who he was talking to.

Before he could say anything else, the entire room was lit up by an intense wave of red chakra that seemed to emanate from the cage itself. The chakra felt heavy that it almost brought him to his knees, but as fast at it came, it was gone but the lighting around the cavern remained. When Naruto raised his head, he was face to face with a creature that he only heard described in books. He immediately backed away. "Kyuubi?"

"**Got it in one. You're not as dumb as you look." **the creature known as Kyuubi quipped in a demonic voice, similar to the one that has been echoing in his head.

"Hey. I'm not dumb." defended Naruto, still shaking a bit at the size of the creature in front of him.

"**That remained to be seen." **the fox mumbled which was still loud enough for an indignant Naruto to hear. **"Anyway, we are currently in your mind or to be more specific, in the seal on your body." **

"Seal? What Seal? You should be dead. The Yondaime killed you 8 years ago…" he was interrupted from his rant when a menacing wave of killer intent that flooded the room. Kyuubi growled.

"**Killed? HA! The Yondaime couldn't possibility kill me. Me! The strongest of all the Bijuu. The Kyuubi no Kitsune. However, he did the only thing that could stop my rampage, he sealed me inside his only child. You!" **said Kyuubi in a loud voice, unaware that he revealed something that he shouldn't have said this early of the conversation.

"WHAT? The Yondaime is my father?" shouted Naruto in disbelief. Not only was the Kyuubi sealed in his gut but he also found out that his father was the one who did that to him. His father was the Yondaime, one of the strongest Hokages of Konoha.

"**Sometimes, the stupidity of humans can be very amusing." **Kyuubi mused loudly. **"Yes kit. I am sealed inside you and the Yondaime is your father. I don't know why this has been kept a secret from you so it's best if you ask the old man about it since I don't know anything about it."**

Naruto's mental state was in chaos to say the least. Not only did he learn that the Kyuubi was sealed inside him but his father did it. He realized why he was called a demon all the time by the villagers. They think that he is the Kyuubi because he was its jailor. He felt betrayed that the old man didn't trust him enough to share this information with him. He was mad at the villagers for their stupidity. No tears fell but deep inside him, his anger was starting to smolder.

While he was deep in thought, the great Kyuubi was eyeing his host with a speculative gleam in his eyes. True, it was a bit of an insult to be sealed into a runt but there is nothing he can do about it now. He can also sense the hatred and anger coming from the boy. He needed to stop this now before the boy decides on something that he will regret later on.

"**Snap out of it kit. This isn't the time to wallow in pity."** said Kyuubi.

Upon hearing his voice, Naruto's head snapped up and gave the Kyuubi an intense glare that made the creature back up a bit. "You're one to talk. It's because of YOU that I'm hated by the villager. It is because of YOU that I'm always beaten on my birthday. IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT MY LIFE HAS BEEN HELL!"

Kyuubi released a powerful roar that made Naruto release all the anger and hatred he backed up in his rant. A claw made of red chakra shot out from the cage and engulfed him in a tight grip. He was yanked out of the ankle-deep water and brought face-to-face with the all-powerful creature sealed inside him.

"**YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BLAME ME FOR THE LIFE YOU HAVE STUPID HUMAN. I DIDN'T ASK TO BE SEALED INSIDE YOU. I ALSO DIDN'T ATTACK THE VILLAGE WITHOUT PROVOCATION. I WAS YANKED OUT OF MY PREVIOUS JAILOR WHEN YOU WERE BORN AND SOMEONE CONTROLLED ME TO ATTACK YOUR VILLAGE." **With that, he threw Naruto down back to the sewer floor causing a large splash of water upon impact. Naruto was dazed but, luckily, was still conscious even in his mind.

"**ALSO, DON'T BLAME ME FOR THE YONDAIME'S ACTION. I DIDN'T ASK HIM TO SEAL ME INSIDE YOU. HE DID IT ON HIS OWN FOR THE REASON I DON'T KNOW ABOUT. SO BEFORE YOU YELL AT ME FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE, KNOW THE FACTS FIRST KIT BEFORE I RAM IT DOWN YOUR THROAT." **ranted Kyuubi.

Naruto was shaken. It's not everyday to be on the receiving end from a powerful rant from one of the most powerful creature in the Elemental Nation. However, the rant from Kyuubi made him realize that the bijuu was right. It wasn't his fault that he was sealed inside his body. After all, who would be stupid enough to be imprisoned anyway?

Shaking his head to clear away his thoughts, Naruto approached the cage with his head bowed. "I'm sorry." he mumbled to the creature.

"**WHAT?"** shouted Kyuubi.

"I'M SORRY OK? I'M SORRY FOR RANTING AT YOU. I WAS ANGRY." shouted Naruto. Kyuubi gave the kid a glare and huffed.

"**Fine. Just don't do it again. Are you calmed down now for us to talk or do you still want to rant and rave?" **asked Kyuubi sarcastically.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm him down. "Yeah I'm good. So what do you want to talk about?" Kyuubi was surprised at this. In front of him was a kid that is well known to have temper issues but calming down after just a few seconds was definitely a miracle. Deciding to press his luck, he talked to the kid.

"**I'm here to answer your questions. I'm sure that you have dozens of them considering what happened yesterday so why don't you start and I'll answer the best I can." **said Kyuubi.

"Why? Why are you being nice to me?" blurted Naruto.

"**Why you ask? Simple, I have no choice. To tell you the truth kit, I don't like you and you definitely don't like me. But what would you have me do? I'm imprisoned inside you for life. The seal was made by the Shinigami himself that tied our souls together. If I escape, we both die. If you die, I die. So instead of bitching about it, I'm willing to work with you to make my life more bearable in this stinking prison."**

"Well, I guess that answers that. You mentioned you have a previous jailor aside from me. Who was it?" asked a curious Naruto.

"**My jailor before you was your mother, Uzumaki Kushina." **replied Kyuubi.

"WHAT? MY MOTHER WAS YOUR JAILOR?" shouted Naruto.

"**Calm down kit. You're giving me a migraine. Yes. Your mother was my jailor. Nice lady too. She and I got along well together. When she was pregnant with you, a major part of her chakra system and body functions was diverted to sustaining you so the seal that held me in her body was weakening. But with the efforts of your father, the Yondaime, they were able to hold me inside while you were being pushed out."** He paused checking if the kid was listening. Seeing that he got his attention, he continued. **"Anyway, after you were born, they were about to reinforce the seal when a man came out of nowhere and attacked your mother which eventually released me from the seal. I was teleported outside of Konoha borders where the man suddenly appeared and took control of me."**

"Do you know who the man was?" asked Naruto in a tight voice, wanting to know the one who killed his family and caused all his problems.

"**Oh I remember him alright." **said an angry Kyuubi**. "He was the same man who controlled me to do battle with Hashirama Senju in a place what you guys now call the Valley of the End. His name was Uchiha Madara."**

"What? He supposed to be dead?" asked a disbelieving Naruto. He read some book son his spare time when he was allowed in the library so he was a bit familiar with Konoha's history and founding.

"**Oh he's alive alright. I don't know how but he is definitely alive. He survived the battle with the Shodaime and he is definitely alive when he attacked your mother and took control of me for the second time. I'm guessing that he is still alive right now but as to where he is I don't have a clue."**

"I see. So what now?" asked Naruto, dropping the subject for later. He has more important things to worry about that history.

"**Well, how about we talk about what happened back in the alley when you were attacked. I'm sure you have questions."** Naruto nodded.

"Yes. What happened back there? What were those ball thingies that appeared around me? It was amazing. I didn't know I have something like that." said Naruto in an amazed voice. Kyuubi chuckled.

"**Yes kit. It was definitely amazing. You see, what happened to you back there was a combination of both your mother's bloodline and my interference."** This shocked Naruto. He has a bloodline?

"My mother has a bloodline?"

"**Oh yes. But your mother's bloodline was in a passive form. You see, her bloodline was called Chakra manipulation. In her case, she can use her chakra to form chains that can easily disable anything, even me. That is one of the reasons why she was chosen to be my jailor in the first place. Now it would be safe to say that you already have her bloodline of Chakra Manipulation."**

"What is Chakra Manipulation. Is it a way of using chakra for a lot of things?"

**"You are partially correct. You see, shinobis have the ability to use chakra for jutsu. There are also some who utilize their chakra for small things, like the Hyuuga clan who uses chakra on the tip of their fingers like a needle to close the tenketsus of their opponents. Those are minor things compared to what you can do. In your case, you got the full ability of your bloodline unlike your mother. In your case, you have full Chakra Manipulation, you can do anything with it. You can make it into weapons, you can use it to move objects, you can even protect yourself with it by forming a dense shield. With this ability, you can use your imagination to use chakra in anything you wish."** said Kyuubi.

Naruto was now amazed with everything that Kyuubi said. He has a bloodline. But not just any bloodline, it is an amazing bloodline. He can use his chakra to do anything he wanted. However, something wasn't right. He voiced out his concerns.

"But what I did back in the alley is definitely not Chakra Manipulation, is it? I mean, it was different from what you described regarding my mother's bloodline." questioned Naruto. Kyuubi nodded.

"**You're very perceptive kit. You see, I tweaked your bloodline a bit to suit my purpose. I don't want to have a weak jailor. Ever since I saw you getting beaten up, it took me a few years to change your DNA so that I can also change your latent ability. What you have now is quite different from your mother's bloodline, but also similar in a way. What I did was give you full Chakra and Elemental Control as well as granting you an ultimate defense, so to speak." **

"Huh? What?" asked a dumbfounded Naruto. Kyuubi just sighed.

"**This might take a while. Let me see. I changed your bloodline a bit using my chakra. Instead of just manipulating chakra, I changed it so that you can use your chakra to allow you to manipulate the elements as well. For example, you can manipulate your chakra to allow you to create a shield of water or a sword of wind. It's all up to you on what you want to do with it. It takes practice, sure, but I'm sure that you can do it the way you want it to. That is also one of the reasons why you have a large chakra supply. This ability requires a shitload of chakra to work so I also boosted your natural chakra supply to at least Kage so you won't drop from exhaustion from using it."**

"Whoah that is so COOL!" shouted Naruto, excited over the prospect of practicing his bloodline ability. "Uhhh, you mentioned something about ultimate defense. What is that?"

"**Oh, you caught that did you?" **Seeing Naruto nod, he continued**. "Did you notice those small orbs that were floating around you back in the alley?" **

"Yep. I was freaked out a bit at first but now that I think about it, there were cool."

"**Well, those orbs are also a result of the changes I made to your bloodline. These orbs are Elemental Orbs that is an automatic defense connected to your instinct. If you feel an attack coming or your instinct picks something up then it will react accordingly to protect you. If you noticed, you can also control it to attack. To explain it easily, it is a sub-conscious defense but requires your focus and will to attack." **explained Kyuubi.

"Hmmm so how do I activate it then?" asked Naruto, excited to gain control of this ability as soon as possible. Seeing Naruto's excitement, Kyuubi sighed again.

"**Simple kit. Just channel chakra to your eyes to active your bloodline. Like the Sharingan and Byakugan, the eyes act as a switch for the bloodline to work. To turn it on, just continuously channel your chakra to your eyes and if you want to turn it off then just cut the chakra flow."**

"That's easy. I can do that." He paused for a bit then looked at Kyuubi with a sheepish expression on his face. "Ummm…how do I channel chakra?"

Kyuubi sweatdropped. This is going to take a while.


	3. Chapter 3 Revelation

**Chapter 3: Revelations**

Naruto opened his eyes and saw that it was morning. He guessed that it took almost all night to talk to Kyuubi about his bloodline. His body was well rested it seems considering that his body was asleep while his mind did all the work. It was amazing that he didn't get any headache from the whole thing.

"_**Of course, I wouldn't want you to wake up with a headache. I shudder to think you reaction would be when you wake up with a migraine." **_quipped Kyuubi from his head.

"_I didn't know we can talk like this."_ said Naruto.

"_**You really are an idiot at times. If you remember, I talked to you when you were attacked in that alley." **_said Kyuubi in an amused tone.

"_Oh yeah right. Sorry about that." _replied a sheepish Naruto.

"_**If you don't mind, I'll go take a nap. I stayed up all night talking to you so I want to go to sleep and leave you alone for a while."**_ said Kyuubi, getting a mental image of the fox yawning and curling up in his cage.

Naruto shook his head and sat up on his bed. He pulled off the covers and found that he was garbed in a hospital gown. "I guess my clothes are gone now." he thought sadly when he remembered the beatings he got from yesterday. He looked around and saw that he was alone so he proceeded to practice his bloodline a bit before someone comes knocking in.

He closed his eyes and channeled chakra to his eyes. He felt the same warmth pool around his eyes that told him that his bloodline was active. He opened his eyes and saw that he was surrounded again by his Elemental Orbs. Remembering what Kyuubi told him about his ability, he willed the orbs to move in front of him so he can inspect them closely and they did.

The five elemental orbs swiftly moved in front of him, seemingly like a puppy happy to serve its master. Each orb represent each element – an orb of red-hot flames, a white orb of crackling electricity, a blue orb of water, a green orb of swirling wind, and a brown orb made of earth. Curious, he stuck one of his fingers into the fire orb and was surprised that it didn't burn him. It was warm, comfortable to the touch. He pulled it out and stuck the same finger into the white orb of electricity which made the tip of his finger tingle.

He played around with it a bit, making them dance around his body; also do some tricks like a loop the loop which he found entertaining. He also experimented on the range of his bloodline; it seems that these orbs were self-sustaining and can leave the range of his body. He experimented with this a bit by throwing the balls on the ends of the room and was happy that they didn't disappear.

He also remembered that Kyuubi told him about his Chakra Manipulation so he gave it a shot and channeled chakra to his finger to connect to the orbs. It didn't work as he planned. All he got was a wisp of chakra escaping from his fingers and nothing else. _"I guess Kyuubi was right when he told me that Chakra Manipulation requires more practice compared to my Elemental Orbs."_

He was so busy with his experimentation that he didn't notice the Hokage and Dog enter the medical ward he was in. They're jaws were hanging open when they saw Naruto playing around with spheres made of Elements. It was astounding and freaky at the same time. The Hokage coughed to get his attention.

Naruto was busy playing around with his Elemental Orbs when he heard someone cough in the room. He turned his head and saw the Hokage and Dog standing there on the door with their mouth hanging open. He gave them both a wave that caused the orbs to weave around him as if they were playing.

"Hiyah jiji, Dog-san." he greeted his visitors. Both approached Naruto cautiously to avoid getting attacked by the orbs. Dog informed the Hokage everything that happened in the alley so both were quite cautious when they approach. Naruto noticed this. "Don't worry jiji. They won't attack." He demonstrated that he was in complete control of his ability by letting them move around his body with his fingers telling them where to go to alleviate their concerns.

"Naruto, I'm glad to see that you're awake." the Hokage greeted his surrogate grandson.

"I'm happy to see you're alright Naruto. How are you feeling?" Dog asked, concern lacing his voice which Naruto found endearing.

"I'm feeling good. Great even. A lot of things happened but I'm cool." quipped Naruto happily.

"Uhhh Naruto, what are those? What happened to your eyes?" the Hokage pointed at the orbs.

"Oh. These are my Elemental Orbs. They are a part of my bloodline." explained Naruto with an excited tone in his voice.

"Bloodline? I didn't know you had such a bloodline. I don't even know that such a bloodline exists." asked the Hokage, dumbfounded on the idea of Naruto having such a powerful bloodline.

"Oh. Yeah. These are new. Kyuubi told me that he changed my mother's bloodline a bit to create them. When I get these eyes, it means that my bloodline is activated."

"Kyuubi?" both Hokage and Dog shouted.

"Yep. Kyuubi explained everything to me." said Naruto. He frowned. "He also told me everything about my parents."

"Naruto…" the Hokage started but was cut off by Naruto.

"You don't have to say anything jiji. I understand why you didn't tell me so I forgive you. I also know that I have Kyuubi sealed inside me and I was able to talk to him."

"You talked to the Kyuubi?" asked the Hokage, shocked that Naruto was able to get in contact with the beast at this early stage of his life.

"Yup. It was an accident really, caused by the attacks but it was good."

"I want you to be careful Naruto. The Kyuubi is a dangerous creature." warned the Hokage.

"_**I resent that. I'm only dangerous to my enemies."**_ growled Kyuubi.

"_I thought you were asleep." _Naruto asked his tenant.

"_**I was but I woke up when I heard you were talking to the old man and your friend." **_explained Kyuubi.

The Hokage noticed Naruto's blank stare so he shook the boy a bit to get his attention.

"What?" exclaimed Naruto.

"You spaced out a bit there kid." said Dog.

"Oh, sorry about that. Kyuubi was talking to me. He was supposed to be asleep but he woke up when you came in and heard you."

"WHAT?"

"_**Sheesh. Old people tend to over react these days. Tell him to calm down kit. I won't do anything. Why don't you tell him what we talked about and our deal." **_said Kyuubi. Giving the fox a mental nod, he turned his attention to his two visitors.

"Why don't you two sit down, this is going to take a while."

When the Hokage and Dog sat down, Naruto explained everything that happened in the alley and his meeting with Kyuubi. He told them about why Kyuubi attacked Konoha and explained what he knows about his abilities.

When Naruto ended his story, the Hokage was massaging his temple because of the headache he got while digesting Naruto's story. Dog was drinking from a Sake bottle he got from somewhere. Both found everything that happened to Naruto to be unbelievable. In fact, nothing natural seems to happen to the kid.

"So jiji. What do you think?"

"I think you just gave me the worst headache in my history as Hokage." the old man whined while giving Dog a glare for not sharing his Sake with him.

"It wasn't that bad." Naruto defended himself.

"Wasn't that bad? You just told us that you had a talk with the most powerful bijuu in the Elemental Nations and gave you practically the most powerful bloodline in history. Sheeesh. Nice to downplay everything that happened kid." exclaimed Dog.

Naruto just ignored it and looked at the old man. "So jiji. What do you think I should do now?"

The Hokage made up his mind over some things concerning Naruto's inheritance. "Why don't we leave here and adjourn to my office. Let's finish our talk there. Since you already know about your parents so it's only safe to give you your inheritance. I think we might need to discuss about giving you an early training course so you can safely handle your bloodline without killing yourself." Naruto agreed.

After Naruto changed into clothes that Dog got from his apartment, they adjourned to the Hokage Tower to talk about Naruto's inheritance. When they got to the office, Dog left to resume his shift while the Hokage went to one of the portraits lining the Hokage office. He bit into his thumb and wiped some blood on a panel underneath it which opened to reveal a small nook. He took out 2 scrolls and a set of keys.

He returned to his desk and sat down to face Naruto who was idly sitting on a couch playing with one of the Elemental Orbs, from the looks of it, it was fire. He coughed to gain his attention.

"Now Naruto. I have here 2 scrolls consisting of your inheritance, as well as the keys to your parent's house. Since you already know about them then I'm going to allow you to stay in the Namikaze compound starting from now on. The security seals around the place are full-proof so you need not worry about mobs finding you when you stay there." Seeing Naruto nod, he handed the keys to the boy and continued.

"This scroll contains all the money that your parents have amassed when they were still alive. We can safely say that you are going to be a very rich boy." said the Hokage.

"Why aren't they in the bank jiji?" asked Naruto.

"Simple. When Kushina and Minato died, they were thinking that the Namikaze clan died with them. The Civilian Council were trying their best to get the money so I took out all the money from the bank, leaving only a few measly change, then sealed the bulk of it into this scroll." explained the Hokage. It was a wise move on his part to immediately get the money from the bank and sealed it into the scroll. The week after Kushina was declared dead, the Civilian Council was demanding to have the money transferred over to the village coffers. He was sure that they were going to go behind his back and pocket the Namikaze and Uzumaki fortune leaving poor Naruto on the dirt. He was practically gloating when the Civilian Council found out that the billions of ryo they were coveting from the clan account turned out only a few thousands. That was one win he scratched up on his book.

"Thanks jiji. So how much do I have?" asked a curious Naruto.

"I'm not sure, I think you have several billions of ryo in that scroll." said the Hokage offhandedly.

"What? Billions? I didn't know that my parents where that rich." exclaimed Naruto. The Hokage just gave him a long look.

"Naruto, you forgot that your parents were very powerful shinobis. Remember that they worked their way up the ladder so the bounties and salaries from missions made them well off. Not to mention that your mother was one of our accomplished Hunter Nins so she definitely got a lot of money out of the bounties she turned in." explained the Hokage.

Naruto was awed at the explanation. His parents were powerful shinobis. His determination doubled upon hearing this. Now he definitely needs to work hard to become the strongest.

"Now Naruto, there is something we need to talk about and it concerns the Council." said the Hokage in a serious tone. This immediately got Naruto's attention.

"What do you mean, old man?"

"I have a plan but I need your permission first."

"Sure, I trust you." said Naruto with a smile. The trust that the boy showed him made him sit straight, proud to have the child's total devotion despite everything he went through. He is now more determined to protect the child and to do that, he needs to get the council back to the way it was before.

"Thank you Naruto. Now, I plan to reveal everything to the council, your bloodline and your inheritance. If we get this right then your life here in Konoha will be a lot better from now on. I'm not sure that we should reveal Kyuubi as of yet since that will definitely backfire on us."

"Oh? So you're going to tell the old geezers about me? Are you sure about that jiji?" Naruto asked, worried about what might happen that will give him problems in the future.

"No need to worry Naruto. Remember, I know the laws like the back of my hand. I plan to introduce you as the Namikaze and Uzumaki clan head and back it up with the introduction of your bloodline. Remember, bloodlines here in Konoha are prized by the council so you having one will definitely swing the decision to your favor. Now all we need to do is to find out if your bloodline will be passed on to your children."

"_**Tell him to go ahead kit. Your bloodline is deeply integrated into your DNA so your kids will definitely have them."**_ announced Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi said to go ahead jiji. He said that my kids will get the same thing I have." said Naruto.

"Good. Everyone already knows about Kushina's bloodline but we can tell them that it evolved because of the Namikaze genes. This way, they won't look deep into it."

"Sounds great. Do you want me to attend the meeting?" asked Naruto.

"Yes. I need you to be there since you will be asked to demonstrate your bloodline to the council, mainly the Shinobi Council. I already called for a meeting so they are waiting for us down in the chamber."

"I'm ready jiji. Let's kick the geezers ass and teach them whose boss." Naruto shouted enthusiastically which brought a peal of laughter from the Hokage. Only Naruto can brighten his day like this.

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><p>The Konoha Council was divided into two factions – the Shinobi Council and the Civilian Council.<p>

The Shinobi Council is made up of the Konoha clan heads, as well as the two advisors of the Hokage. The main clans include the Hyuuga, Aburame, Akimichi, Nara, Uchiha, and the Inuzuka. The Uchiha representative was Danzo Shimura since Uchiha Sasuke is still underage and the eldest, Uchiha Itachi, is a missing nin.

The Civilian Council is made up of the wealthy merchants in Konoha.

The Hokage explained to Naruto the two council factions and his standing among them. The Shinobi Council is either neutral or favorable to his plight since most of them followed the Yondaime's wishes for you to be treated as a hero. The only exception to this rule is the Hyuuga. The Civilian Council, however, is another matter entirely. They are against Naruto since he holds the Kyuubi. This caused a stalemate when it comes to votes but the Hokage was sure that he can sway them to Naruto's side due to his powerful bloodline.

When the Hokage and Naruto entered the Council Chamber, the boy noticed that everyone was bickering over one thing and another. The whole scenario didn't really make much of an impression with Naruto.

"_**Don't worry too much about it kit. Humans have always been like this. You've seen one you've seen them all." **_said Kyuubi, amused over the Council's pseudo superiority.

"_Why are they acting like that then?" _asked Naruto.

"_**Simple kit. From what I gather. The Civilian Council have been trying to usurp the Hokages powers for years now. If I remember correctly, Minato told Kushina about it while I was sealed inside her. He was trying hard to stop their power grabbing schemes but he was only able to do so much. I guess the Hokage is now pushed back to the back seat unless he takes away the power that they have right now." **_

"_Why won't jiji do that then? He is the Hokage after all. He is the leader of the village."_

"_**Yes. He can do that but he might be working on that right now starting with you. It seems that you gave him back his backbone." **_said an amused Kyuubi.

His conversation was cut short when one of the Civilian Council members made it known to the Hokage of Naruto's presence.

"Hokage-same. We were wondering why you called us for an important meeting. Also, why is that _boy_ doing here?" the councilman sneered. The Hokage just gave the offending party long look and made it known why HE was the Hokage and they were just advisers.

"Tell me councilman Haruno. Who am I?" asked the Hokage.

"You're the Hokage, Hokage-sama." Councilman Haruto immediately answered.

"Good councilman Haruno. So let me ask you this, WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO ASK ME WHY I CALLED FOR A COUNCIL MEETING?" the Hokage shouted the last part and leaked a bit of his killing intent that made the Civilian Council cower in fear.

The Shinobi Council stood straight. It seems that something happened that made Hiruzen Sarutobi bring out his long-lost backbone. For them, they were looking at the God of Shinobi, the Professor, and the Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. Even the every stoic Danzo smiled at this.

"For the past years since I've taken the mantle of Hokage again from Minato, I noticed that the Civilian Council are turning MY village as their own. So let me ask you this, is Konoha a shinobi village or a civilian village?" asked the Hokage in a cold voice. He addressed the entire council, daring them to answer his question.

The Nara clan head answered. "Konoha is a shinobi village Hokage-sama".

"Good to know that. So let me remind the Council that this is a _shinobi_ village so this is purely MY village. I'm the LEADER of Konoha. The Council is just my advisors. YOU DON'T GIVE ME ORDERS. I GIVE ORDERS. IF I SAY YOU JUMP, YOU ASK HOW HIGH. IF I SAY YOU LEAVE THEN YOU SHOULD RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN. DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND ME?" he released his barely-restrained killer intent at the Civilian Council making some of them pass out from the strain.

He looked around as if daring for anyone to tell him otherwise. After a few seconds of silence, he took charge of the meeting. "Good, now we can start. I called you all here regarding some recent developments that occurred here in Konoha that will greatly affect its future."

"What developments Hokage-sama?" asked the Hiashi Hyuuga.

"This is concerning the bloodline that woke up in Uzumaki Naruto yesterday after he was attacked by civilians."

This brought out a lot of whispers from the Shinobi Council. The Civilian Council, however, were in total denial that the _boy_ have any bloodline and that it is a trick to fool the Hokage. Hearing that the meeting was starting to degenerate into a total argument, he slammed his hand hard on the table that calmed everyone down.

"Thank you for the silence." he said sarcastically. "Anyway, it seems that Naruto-kun woke up his mother's bloodline ability within himself but it evolved into something more due to his father's genetic code."

"The boy is an orphan Hokage-sama. He doesn't have any parents." One of the Civilian Council sneered.

"Really now councilman. Let me ask you this, do I need to give you the talk?" asked the Hokage.

"What?" the councilman stuttered out .

"I said if I need to give you the talk. It seems to me that you don't know how babies are made. I assure you that Naruto-kun didn't just come out of the cabbage patch or a stork brought him to Konoha." The Shinobi Council laughed at this while the Civilians were glaring at them.

"To continue, I brought Naruto-kun here to explain how his bloodline awakened. I'll supply the facts that he left out since I knew both his parents personally." The Hokage motioned for Naruto to step forward to begin his explanation which he did. He explained what happened with the mobs yesterday that made the Civilian Council nervous.

When he finished his explanation, one of the Shinobi Council, the Nara clan head, asked. "So Uzumaki-san, can you demonstrate to us your bloodline?" Naruto nodded and closed his eyes. He channeled chakra to his eyes to activate his Elemental Orbs.

The entire Konoha Council gasped. Naruto was surrounded by 5 orbs of lights, each of different colors, taking their rightful position around Naruto's body. They stared in awe when Naruto opened his eyes and showed them his eyes, revealing his doujutsu - gold iris and reversed-star pupils.

"This is my bloodline that is activated through my eyes. I call this the Kamigan or God's Eyes. And no, I didn't come up with a name for my bloodline. Hokage-jiji gave me the name since it is a new bloodline with no records of its origins."

"So what do they do Uzumaki-san?" Tsume, the Inuzuka clan head, asked.

"My bloodline is composed of two main elements according to the hokage. It seems that I got my mother's Chakra Manipulation bloodline that allows me to utilize chakra for almost anything I want. Hokage-jiji also told me that because of my father's DNA caused the bloodline to evolved that allows me to control elements as well without having to do hand seals. Also, my Elemental Orbs is only activated when my doujutsu is active. It seems that my ultimate defense and elemental manipulation from them is directly connected to my eyes.

This shocked the entire council. A bloodline of this magnitude has never been seen throughout the entire Elemental Nations. The power to control Chakra and the Elements is practically the most powerful bloodline in the world. Most of the Shinobi councils were drooling over the possibility of such bloodline while the civilians were busy plotting on how to get Naruto under their wings to control such power.

"What are those orbs surrounding you?" The Aburame clan head asked.

"These are what I call Elemental Orbs shinobi-san. They serve as both my offense and defense. The defense is automatic. When it sense danger, it can act without my will to protect me."

"Interesting, can we test it out?" Danzo asked, interested over the possibility of such bloodline.

Getting a nod from Naruto, he snapped his fingers twice and one of the hidden ANBUs in the chamber threw two shurikens at Naruto at blinding speed. However, before the shurikens could hit Naruto, a wall of water shot out from the blue orb and intercepted the projectile. Danzo snapped his fingers again twice and a hail of kunai seems to shot out from the wall but before it could hit Naruto, a wall of wind surrounded him that deflected the kunais away that almost hit the council members in the room.

The entire council was shocked at the power of such bloodline. It was indeed the ultimate defense. Uzumaki Naruto has power over the elements and to use them as his ultimate defense. This was unheard off.

"Interesting indeed Uzumaki-san. It seems that your bloodline is quite powerful." said Danzo. "However, what would happen if someone attacked you directly?" Before anyone could stop him, he snapped his fingers once again and this time an ANBU rushed out from the shadow, ready to impale him with his katana.

Naruto saw this and pushed his right arm out and immediately willed the flames to protect him. The Fire Orb shot out a stream of fire that created a wall of flames that surrounded him, effectively stopping the attacking ANBU from his tracks. He twirled his hands in a counter-clockwise gesture and a stream of water, like a whip, shot out from the Water Orb and grabbed the attacker and immobilized him in the air. He raised his other hand palms facing forward to the attacker for the flames surrounding him to suddenly twirl around the suspended ANBU, ready to burn him off.

Everyone was silent for a few moments before the Hokage coughed catching everyone's attention. "I think that is enough for a demonstration Naruto-kun. You can put him down now before anyone gets hurt." He finished the statement while giving Danzo a glare, daring him to do it again. Danzo just gave him a smirk but backed down from the dare.

Naruto nodded pulled the flame and water back to their respective orbs, but letting them stay active just in case of more attacks. The Elemental Orbs just weaves around him, as if ready to protect its master from further attacks. "Sorry about that jiji, I guess I got carried away." He replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

The Hokage just waved the apology with a gesture of his hand "It's ok Naruto-kun. Why don't you stay back a bit so we can wrap this up." He turned back to the rest of the council who was now looking at Naruto and his Elemental Orbs in awe. "Can we continue now or do you want me to ask Naruto-kun to demonstrate more of his…powers to the rest of the council." Everyone immediately shook their ends. They wouldn't want to become the subject of such demonstration. They've seen enough.

"So to continue, I would like to announce Naruto-kun's inheritance. From this day onward, he shall take up his father's clan leadership. Starting today, he shall be address as Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto."

The entire Konoha Council erupted into pandemonium.


	4. Chapter 4 Return of Namikaze

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**Hi guys. here is another chapter of Naruto: God's Eyes. **

**Some stuff you need to know about this fic:**

1. You might notice that Naruto's bloodline is somewhat similar to _bending_ that is common in Avatar: The Last Airbender. To be honest, I got the idea from there but I don't want Naruto to be a bender. Instead, I incorporated into a bloodline with similar properties.

2. I got a review from one of the readers regarding 'fruity' stuff for this fic. Well, to be honest, my mind is far away from any lemon or lime for Naruto at the moment. I would be sticking to the story but if I see some potential love interest in the plotline then you can be sure I'll warn the more umm...rated users about it so you're eyes and brain won't shut down on your when you do read them.

3. Check my profile for updates regarding my other story - Naruto: A Fox Among Wolves.**  
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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Return of Namikaze<strong>

Chaos. The Konoha Council was in total uproar. The Shinobi-side of the council was excited over the prospect of returning the Namikaze clan into Konoha. However, the Civilian Council were in total denial – not only was the Kyuubi brat in possession of practically one of the most powerful elemental bloodline to date but also the son of their hero the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

Both Sarutobi and Naruto were amused over their antics; they were expecting chaos but this takes the cake. Everyone was in total uproar. It was hilarious and both were dismayed of not bringing any camera with them to immortalize the faces of the entire council.

Sarutobi let the council go wild for a few more minutes. He and Naruto both discussed how things were supposed to go and this is part of their plan. Instead of lording over the council, it was decided to let them stew over the idea and let them arrive at their own conclusion.

The Shinobi Council eventually settled down but the excited smirk on their faces proved to be enlightening to both Naruto and the Hokage. Even the stoic Hiashi Hyuuga was showing a slight smirk, to the trained eye of course, that tells that he was happy with the news. It made Sarutobi a bit weary since Hiashi was known to be a schemer so he may have plans with the young Namikaze.

The Civilian Council, however, was discussing among themselves the absurdity of the idea regarding the demon brat being the Yondaime's son. Considering that they weren't that smart to begin with so the bare facts that the Shinobi Council already realized eluded them.

Sarutobi was brought out of his musings when the head of the Civilian Council shouted to get his attention. The offender was no other than the Haruno councilman.

"This is absurd, Hokage-sama. It is not possible for the boy to be Namikaze-sama's son." ranted the councilman.

"Oh? Really now councilman Haruno? Do you have any facts that prove otherwise?" inquired an amused Sarutobi.

"We all know for a fact that the Yondaime has never married. If it was then his son's parentage would have been known throughout the entire village."

The Hokage nodded. "That is true but that is the reason why ALL OF YOU don't know about his personal life."

"Explain yourself Hokage-Sama." said another Civilian council member.

"I DON'T have to explain myself to you but I will humor you just this once. Now, before we go into the legalities of the Namikaze-Uzumaki heir. Let me first ask you this. Do you think that Naruto-kun is the exact replica of the Fourth when he was young? Get rid of the whisker marks and the orange outfit then you will see what I'm talking about."

Everyone stared at Naruto which made him squirm in his seat. It wasn't always that he becomes the center of attention so he was unused to the feeling.

The Nara clan head spoke first. "You are correct. He does indeed look a lot like Minato when he was still young. I should know. He was quite close with the Ino-Shika-Cho (Inoichi-Shikaku-Chouza) group during our pre-Genin days." The rest of the Shinobi Council agreed at this.

"Also, his temper and attitude reminds me too much of Kushina-chan when she was young. She was quite a spitfire that girl. Not to mention the pranks she pulled." said Tsume Inuzuka, chuckling all the while as she remembered the young hothead.

"Indeed. Remember when she clobbered Jiraiya-sama when he was caught peeking at the Kunoichis." said a laughing Chouza. "He stayed in the hospital for a week after she was done with him."

Every Shinobi Council member chuckled at that. The Civilian Council just glared at them.

"That is not enough reason to believe that the de…boy is the son of the Yondaime." said one councilwoman.

"You are correct. That is why I brought with me the marriage contract of both Kushina-chan and Minato-kun's. It was a private ceremony held in my office, witnessed by Jiraiya and Tsunade. Also, here is the birth certificate of Naruto-kun when he was born during the Kyuubi attack signed by both Tsunade and Hikari Sato who took charge of the birthing." said the Hokage, holding up two documents and passed them first to the Shinobi Council. When the Civilian Council got their hands on the documents, they poured all their attention to it to make sure that everything is legal – and to their dismay it was ironclad. It was official. Uzumaki Naruto is indeed Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, the son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

The Hokage coughed to return their attention back to him. "Now we will take a vote should Naruto-kun get his inheritance according to Minato-kun's will." He called for a vote and all the Shinobi Council, as well as some of the Civilian Council raised their hands in agreement. The only ones left were the Hokage Advisors, Homaru and Koharu, Danzo, and some of the Civilian Council.

"Then it is official. Naruto-kun will take the Namikaze-Uzumaki clan leadership and all assets that come with it. Considering that he is still a minor, I will be temporarily taking over his seat in the council until he becomes an adult when he graduates and become a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato."

"But Hokage-sama, if Namikaze-_sama _is given clan head status when he reach Genin then Uchiha Sasuke-sama should also be instated as the clan head as well." one councilman shouted. The 'sama' suffix was added in disdain but the Hokage just ignored this…for now.

"You are correct but we can never deny the fact that Uchiha Sasuke is NOT the clan head. Itachi is still the eldest of the surviving Uchiha clan so until he is dead, Sasuke is not the clan head." said the Hokage calmly. "Is there any else?" he demanded over the shouting of the Civilian Council.

Seeing most of the members of the Council shake their heads in negative, he continued. "If there aren't any more on the agenda then I call this session of the Konoha Council to a close. You are all dismissed."

With that, the Hokage nudged Naruto out of the chamber leaving behind a smiling Shinobi Council, fuming Civilian Council, and of course, some plotting members to get the boy under their control and all the influence he holds.

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><p>The Hokage and Naruto retired into the Hokage office after the meeting, both exhausted with everything that happened today. It was already late in the afternoon so both were a bit weary. Naruto settled down on the couch and directed the Wind Orb to rotate in order to produce a cooling breeze to cool them up. The Hokage was thankful for this then settled down in his chair facing Naruto.<p>

"Now that everything is done, I would like to congratulate you in becoming the head of the Namikaze-Uzumaki clan Naruto-kun." said Sarutobi, giving his surrogate grandson a smile.

"Thanks jiji. But don't you think that I'm a bit too young to become a clan head? I mean, I don't even know what to do." exclaimed Naruto.

"No need to worry my boy. I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time. Now, we need to discuss a few things that come with your birthright." Naruto nodded so he continued. "Naruto, you need to realize that one of the reasons why I kept your inheritance secret is because both your mother and father have plenty of enemies. The history between the Yondaime and Iwa is legendary so they will be sending a lot of assassins to kill you when the word of your identity gets out. I kept this hidden from you because I wanted to protect you so I apologize for not acting out sooner." apologized Sarutobi.

"I understand jiji. But why did you release the information now. I mean, would that just put me in danger?" asked a curious Naruto.

"Well, it WOULD have been a dangerous idea to release your inheritance to the world but I think we both know for a fact that you CAN protect yourself now." subtly gesturing towards the floating orbs surrounding Naruto. "Since we are on the subject, I decided to let you train even before entering the academy to hone your skills. Among the rest of the Shinobi clan heirs, you are in a bit of a disadvantage since your parents aren't around to teach you their techniques, but with your determination and stamina, I'm sure that you can overcome this hurdle."

"_**Also kit, I would be helping you out. Tell the old man that I will be helping you train – giving you ideas to help you get started."**_ interrupted Kyuubi. He was awake and listened to the entire Council Meeting and agreed with the Hokage's presumption regarding Naruto's enemies in the future. His container can take care of himself with his bloodline but its best to be safe than sorry.

"Uhh jiji. Kyuubi told me that he agreed with your idea. He will be helping me out as well." Naruto relayed his conversation with Kyuubi.

Sarutobi was shocked at this. Naruto was already powerful with his active bloodline but with Kyuubi's teachings, it is possible for the boy to become the most powerful Shinobi in the entire Elemental Nations. He was weary with the offer. Despite knowing the truth about the Kyuubi attack, he is still having second thoughts regarding the fox's allegiance.

As if sensing the Hokage's thoughts and intentions, Kyuubi decided to get his idea across. _**"Kit, I want you to tell the Hokage to lock down the room. I want both you here in your mind so we can discuss your training."**_

"_Can you do that? Can you bring him into my mind?"_ asked an incredulous Naruto.

"_**Of course. I have lived a long time kit so I know a trick or two. Just tell him to lock down the room and I want you to relay this technique to him. I'll pass it to you right now." **_

Naruto's eyes glazed over when the information of the technique was transferred to his brain. He told the Hokage about the Kyuubi's idea and complied. He blazed through a set of seals and the room lit up for a bit before dying down, effectively locking the room from intruders. He performed the technique as Kyuubi instructed and touched Naruto's temple.

* * *

><p>Hiruzen Sarutobi is hailed to be the most knowledgeable man in realm of Shinobi Arts which earned him the nickname of "The Professor" by both friends and enemies. But nothing prepared him when he stood under the presence of the great Kyuubi no Kitsune in Naruto's mind. He saw the cage that separated the beast from his surrogate grandson, as well as the seal that is placed in the middle that forever locked him in place. The sewer-like atmosphere didn't really fit well on what he think to be Naruto's mind but he can teach Naruto later about the mindscape so he can change it if necessary.<p>

"**Welcome to my humble abode **_**Hokage**_**"** the Kyuubi bellowed, over-reacting a bit to scare the human in front of him. Naruto just rolled his eyes over Kyuubi's antics.

"Kyuubi-sama." said a subdued Hokage, not knowing how to act in front of the great beast that lorded over the rest of the powerful bijuu.

"**Such **_**respect**_** from the leader of the most powerful village but we are not here to exchange pleasantries. Let's get down to business."** said Kyuubi, amused that he successfully intimidated the supposedly powerful leader of Konoha.

"Indeed Kyuubi-sama. I want to know what you plan to teach Naruto-kun. I don't want him to hurt himself with your teachings." said Sarutobi, scrounging up every fiber of his courage to face the great beast. It seems that protecting his surrogate grandson brought out more of his backbone.

Kyuubi noticed this and grinned. **"I commend you Hokage. It is not everyday that I meet a human that has enough courage to face me, except your Yondaime of course." **He added the last part as an afterthought.

Naruto had enough of the whole thing and decided to make his presence known. "Stop scaring the old man Kyuubi." he growled. Kyuubi just released an amused chuckle, releasing the intimidating act and gave Naruto a foxy grin. This confused Sarutobi to say the least.

"**Sorry kit but I can't help myself being a fox and all."** He turned his attention to the old man. **"Anyway, we are supposed to discuss about the brat's training. What were you planning to teach him?"**

The Hokage coughed to get his beating heart under control.

"I plan to start him off with the basics. Before he can become a competent shinobi, I will want him to improve his physical prowess before moving on to other Shinobi arts. During his physical training, I will be teaching him the basics of Chakra Control since he seems to need it for the rest of his bloodline ability."

"**That is a good idea to start the brat's training."** The 'brat' part got an indignant 'hey' from Naruto. The fox just gave him a mischievous grin. **"But it would be best to allow him to expand his mental capacity as well. We all know that Chakra is based on purely physical and spiritual energy. The physical energy can be easily done through physical training – improving his strength and stamina. However, in order for him to balance his increasing physical energy, we need to improve his mind as well so he needs to train his mind with knowledge of the Shinobi arts and tactics."**

Sarutobi nodded. "Agreed. But such growth would take a lot of time. There isn't any way for him to balance both skills without hurting him in the process. What I plan is to start him off with physical training then begin his mental training once he attend the academy."

"**True. But I have a much better idea. Naruto needs to be strong enough, at least Chunnin level when he enters the academy. I don't want a weak container and knowing his heritage and being my container, his enemies won't be giving him the breathing room to grow strong."** Kyuubi argued. Sarutobi sighed.

"You're correct Kyuubi-sama. But I know nothing to help him in both fields at the same time without him breaking down in the process."

"**You don't, well actually you do but you haven't realized it yet. But I do know how to get both his training done at the same time. I want you to teach him the Kage Bunshin technique that his mother passed on to Konoha." **

That shocked Sarutobi. True, with the Kage Bunshin, he can easily divide himself to accommodate both physical and mental Training, but the strain of the technique will surely hurt the boy. That is one of the reasons why the technique was considered as a Kinjutsu to begin with. "No! Naruto is not strong enough to do the Kage Bunshin."

Naruto was confused over the argument regarding a jutsu so he interrupted the arguing duo. "Uhh jiji. What is the Kage Bunshin?" Sarutobi turned to Naruto.

"Naruto, the Kage Bunshin is one of the forbidden techniques passed on by your mother to Konoha when he became one of our ninjas. It is part of your inheritance but it is a dangerous technique for you at your current age. The technique requires a lot of Chakra to pull off and you need Chakra control to avoid overpowering the technique."

"Jiji. What does the technique do?"

"The technique is powerful. Unlike the normal Bunshin, the Kage Bunshin allows you to create real copies of yourself using large amounts of Chakra. It is a technique used mostly for spying since the clone will pass one its memories and experience once dispelled or killed. It also has its own Chakra network so it can also do jutsu unlike other Bunshins."

"**That is correct."** agreed Kyuubi. **"With the Kage Bunshin, we can easily simplify your training course. The real you would be busy with physical training since the Kage Bunshin cannot relay physical experience and improvements, but you can use them to read and learn the Shinobi arts in scrolls and from your teachers."**

"Kyuubi-sama is correct but I think this technique is too much for you to handle at your age."

"**That is not true Hokage. Naruto already has the Chakra reserves. If you take time to reach out with your senses, you will see that his Chakra store far surpasses your own and with my presence, I can easily replenish his stores with my own limitless supply to avoid exhaustion." **

Sarutobi thought about this for a bit. It is true that Naruto is already more than a Kage-level shinobi in terms of Chakra and Stamina, and with the Kyuubi's presence, he will never suffer from exhaustion unless he depletes his own supply first. "So you are willing to supply him with the Chakra he needs for the technique to be used for training?"

"**Yes. I will be helping the loudmouthed brat."** Kyuubi growled.

"And why would you do that? True that you offered but I don't see it from one such as you." argued Sarutobi.

Kyuubi just gave out a large sigh. **"Hokage, I think you already realize that the kit and I are already bound by the Shinigami's seal. This means that both our souls are merged. When he dies, I die as well. So please **_**excuse**_** me if I want to help train the kit so we'll both survive."**

Sarutobi realized what the fox was doing was out of self-preservation. He realized that there is too much at stake here for the bijuu than he realized. So this makes Naruto safe from the Kyuubi's influence. It is true that if harm comes to Naruto then Kyuubi would be harmed as well so making him strong is the only option for the fox to survive. With the seal in place, Kyuubi cannot control Naruto's mind without his express permission.

"Fine, I agree with your idea. I will devise a training schedule for Naruto for his physical training. The Namikaze-Uzumaki compound holds one of the largest libraries in Konoha not including the Hokage archive so he can go over the Shinobi arts from there. But you have to promise me that he won't be doing any high-level techniques that I know Minato have compiled in his library until we both deem him ready. I will be asking for a monthly report so I can keep track of his progress. Agreed?"

"**Agreed. He have a deal Hokage. Now leave me be. I'm tired so I want to sleep for now. If you want to relay something to me, just tell the brat."** With that, Sarutobi was kicked out of Naruto's mind.


	5. Chapter 5 A Year of Training

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If my version of Naruto is displaying skills found in other works then I don't own it as well. (heheheh)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: A Year of Training<strong>

After meeting the Kyuubi, Naruto and the Hokage was making their way to Naruto's apartment to pick up his things so he can move to his new home. He was excited over the prospect of having his very own house to live in. What made it more awesome to his 8-year old enthusiasm is that he will be moving to his 'family' home.

Naruto have never been exposed to the concept of family since he has been alone all his life, except of course the Hokage which he treats like a grandfather, the Ichiraku family, and Dog. Weasel was also part of his family but the Hokage informed him that he became a missing nin. He asked why, the Hokage didn't tell him much to his annoyance.

After Naruto packed up all his things, which didn't consist much since he didn't bother to stock up on his favorite items for fear the villager would just come in and trash the place, the left again towards his new home. It took a while for them to arrive considering that his clan's compound was on the opposite side of the village, hidden in a secluded area behind the Hokage Monument.

Naruto was a shocked when he saw the gate. It was huge. The walls were purely made of stone and adorned with various symbols, which the Hokage mentioned they were seals that made up the estate's protection.

The gate was made purely of black metal, two ironbound gates locked together by a circular notch in the middle holding the Namikaze-Uzumaki clan symbol – a cross which consisted of a tri-pronged kunai standing on its hilt with a katana in the horizontally running through it in the middle. The Hokage explained the relevance of the symbol – the kunai was a signature move of the Fourth Hokage, the Hiraishin, and the katana was Kushina's trademark since she was known as the Red Death, Konoha's most powerful sword-user.

Naruto was amazed by his parent's prowess in battle and made it his dream to live up to their skills or even trump them as a child should.

They stopped in front of the massive gate and asked Naruto to place his hand on the notch in the middle and channel his Chakra through it. He explained that the gate contained a complicated security seal that the Yondaime created to protect his family. The seal can read the Chakra of the person to determine if they are part of the family to both grant and deny entrance. He also told Naruto that the library in the compound contained the instructions to allow him to add other people into the seal matrix so they can enter without his permission. He cautioned Naruto to make sure that he only add someone that he can trust. Naruto made a mental note to add both Dog and the Hokage to the matrix so they can visit him anytime.

Following the old man's advice, he placed his hand on the panel and felt his Chakra being absorbed by the seal. Nothing happened at first but the panel glowed blue before a click was heard from inside. He immediately removed his hand when the circular notch turned clockwise and the gate slid to the sides revealing a massive compound inside.

The Namikaze-Uzumaki compound was huge to say the least. The Hokage told him that it was larger than that of the Hyuuga compound which was said to be the most extensive in Konoha. The landscape was mostly intact but the flowers and weeds were all over the place since it has been 8 years since it last saw any habitation or tending. Naruto noticed that there were a lot of things that needs to be repaired. He is going to be doing this for a very long time.

When they entered the compound, he saw an oriental-styled mansion. The foundation was purely made of chiseled gray stones and the walls were of dark polished wood. His house can never be called a house, it was a mansion consisting of 3 floors. He was busy checking out the place when the Hokage called his attention.

"Now Naruto. I won't be able to show you around since I'll be busy tending to the paperwork and mission reports back in the office so I'll leave you alone to explore the place. If you want, we can hire some Genins to clean up the place but I advise against it since the Namikaze-Uzumaki compounds holds secrets that should be left alone from unwanted eyes. I will send Dog later to help you get settled in since we both know that he can be trusted. Is there anything else you need before I leave?"

"I think I'm alright jiji. I can take care of myself. I'll check out the house and I'll find some rooms I can sleep in. I'll decide what to do tomorrow since its already late." said a tired Naruto.

"Sure thing my boy. I'm not sure if there's still food inside the house but I remember Minato-kun telling me that he has preservation seals on the cabinets to keep the food fresh. You can shop for necessities tomorrow if there is any need but for now I bid you good night."

Getting a nod from Naruto, he was about to leave when he was tackled by Naruto in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around the boy that he already considered a part of his family. "Thanks a lot jiji. I don't what I'll do without you." whispered Naruto.

Clapping the boy on the back, he chuckled. "Not to worry Naruto. You're part of my family and I am more than happy to take care of you."

"Thanks again jiji. See you later."

With that, both parted with a small farewell ready to face the challenges that are to come in the future.

* * *

><p>Naruto saw the gate slide close with a small click when the Hokage left the compound. He turned around and made his way to the front door. He saw that it was locked so he fished out the set of keys that he got from the old man and placed it on the keyhole and gave it a small twist. The door opened to reveal a beautifully-designed, yet dusty, interior that he definitely fell in love at first sight.<p>

Like the outside, the interior was also made from dark polished wood. The furniture were in pretty good condition considering that they've been left unattended for 8 years but the dust that covered them definitely requires some serious cleaning.

A sudden thought occurred to him and activated his Kamigan. The Elemental Orb immediately materialized in front of him, ready for his will to command them. He willed the Wind Orb to go to the center of the room to create a miniature tornado to attract the dust like a vacuum cleaner. It did its job and the clear tornado now turned into a gray-colored storm due to the number of dust in it. He gently guided the tornado outside and off the compound and allowed it to dissipate to scatter its contents.

He checked out the room again and nodded for a job well done. It still needed cleaning but it wouldn't require heavy duty work to get it sparkling clean again.

He then moved to the kitchen and repeated the same technique to get rid of the dust. He checked out the cabinets and saw that it was still stocked with enough food to get him by until he finds time to do some groceries. He pulled out the storage scroll that the Hokage gave that contained his belongings and laid it open on the table. He channeled a tiny bit of Chakra to one of the Kanjis painted on it to release its content.

In a poof of smoke, which quickly dispersed, revealed mounds of his favorite ramen. He placed all of it on one of the empty cabinets but left 3 of them out for his dinner. He checked out the stove and saw that it was in working order so he took one of the pans out and laid it on top of the stove. He filled it with water from the Water Orb and directed a stream of fire from the Fire Orb to light up the stove. He waited a bit for the water to boil and prepared his ramen. Dinner was quiet as he happily slurped his food down. While he was busy eating, he decided to have a talk with his tenant to ask what to do from now on.

"_Oi Kyuubi. You awake?"_ he mentally hollered just in case the fox was asleep.

"_**Pipe down you insufferable brat. You're too loud."**_ growled Kyuubi, not amused at being woken up from his nap. _**"What do you want now?"**_

"_Nothing, I was craving for your company."_ Naruto said sarcastically.

"_**Cheeky brat. What's been going on while I was asleep?"**_ asked Kyuubi, now fully awake and giving Naruto his full attention.

"_Nothing much, I moved all my stuff here at my parents house. I just wanted to talk to you what to do from now on. Maybe we can talk about my training" _said Naruto excitedly._ He was definitely geared towards training to get stronger._

"_**It's too early for that kit. Why don't you spend a few days checking out your place and take stock on what's in here. You might want to check out the library too to see what we can work with. There should be a scroll there about the Kage Bunshin. From your memories, I see that you forgot to ask the Hokage about it."**_

_"Ooops. Sorry. I forgot all about it."_

"_**Idiot." **_

_"Hey. I said I was sorry didn't I. I'll check the library after I'm done."_

"_**Good. I see you're already done so why don't you check the place out now before it gets any darker for us to see. Also check if the electricity is still on in this place. We don't want to live here without any lighting."**_

_"Sure. I'm already done eating so I'll check the place out." _agreed Naruto._  
><em>

After Naruto finished eating, he threw the empty ramen cups in the garbage and started his exploration of his new home.

Naruto definitely liked his new home. No, he loved it. The place was everything he dreamed off. The first floor was composed of the family den, kitchen, and an entertainment room with a large TV. The door at the back opened up to a large hot spring that he definitely wanted to soak in later on. Kyuubi complimented the hot spring since it would be a great place to train his Chakra Control, as well as a great place to relax his sore muscles after a hard day of physical workout.

The second floor was mainly composed of bedrooms. From the looks of it, there were a total of 5 rooms on the floor, 2 large rooms and 3 small ones that looks like guest rooms. Each room has its own bathroom. He chose to stay in one of the larger rooms that look like the Master's bedroom. What endeared him to it is because of his parent's things and photos that he will definitely check out later on.

The third floor came at a big surprise to the blonde boy. The entire floor was the library and it was huge. After he opened the locked door by placing his hand on the clan insignia, he saw that the third floor was one big room with one section closed off. There were shelves after shelves containing hundreds of scrolls. One part of the room was an armory where you can see a lot of Shinobi weapons on display. One of the walls displayed dozens of his father's tri-pronged Kunai and a pedestal on the side that contained his mother's prized katana that earned her the nickname of Red Death. He vowed to learn the art of the sword to keep his mother's memory alive.

After an hour of checking out library, he was astounded with the number of scrolls in the place. It was organized according to each Shinobi field, mainly Elemental and Non-Elemental jutsus, Fuuinjutsu (sealing), Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. There was even a small alcove that contained Summoning Contracts on Tigers, Dragons, and Birds. He wondered why his parents have multiple summoning contracts so he vowed to ask the old man later.

To Naruto's luck, he was able to find the scroll for the Kage Bunshin technique in the Non-Elemental section of the library. Kyuubi told him to bring it with him to study later before he retires for the night. He promised to have Naruto practice the technique tomorrow.

It was almost midnight that Naruto finished inspecting his new home and retreated to the Master's bedroom where he spent most of the time checking out his parent's things. He fell in love with his father's coat but it was still too big for him to wear so he planned to have a tailor make one for him as part of his Shinobi outfit.

He studied the Kage Bunshin scroll for a bit before going to bed. He knew that tomorrow would be a very long day.

* * *

><p>(NEXT DAY)<p>

Naruto woke up early. Ever since he lived on his own after being kicked out of the orphanage when he was 4 years old, it has been his daily routine to wake up before the sun rises. He grumbled a bit and headed straight for the bathroom to freshen up. He saw that he didn't have enough toiletries so he added that to his list of things to buy. He took a cold shower to wake him up as part of his routine and adjourned to the kitchen to fix himself some ramen for breakfast. He was interrupted when Kyuubi suddenly voiced out his concerns regarding his choice of food.

"_**You know. Ramen will not help you become the best shinobi."**_ the Kyuubi voiced out in his mind.

"WHAT? Ramen is the best food in the world. How dare you suggest that it won't help me become the best." ranted Naruto.

"_**Kit, I didn't mean to insult your favorite food but ramen won't help you much when you start with your physical training. Let's face it, what you're eating right now isn't healthy. It's because of my influence on your body right now that you're not looking malnourished. If you want your body to be in top condition, you need to eat healthy."**_

"I WILL NOT STOP EATING RAMEN AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!"

"_**IDIOT! I DIDN'T SAY THAT YOU STOP EATING RAMEN. I ONLY SUGGESTED THAT YOU EAT SOME HEALTHY FOOD ASIDE FROM RAMEN."**_

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE."

"_**I JUST DID YOU IDIOT! BE THANKFUL THAT I'M EVEN HELPING YOU"**_

"THANK YOU."

"_**YOUR WELCOME. Why are we shouting?"**_

"Dunno. Hehehehe." said Naruto with a sheepish grin.

"_**Idiot."**_ grumbled Kyuubi. _**"When you're done eating, I want you to go to the training ground out back and start practicing Kage Bunshin. With your Chakra reserve and tenacity, I'm sure you'll get it down with only a few tries."**_

Naruto gave Kyuubi a mental nod and quickly finished his meal. He ran to the bedroom and retrieved the Kage Bunshin scroll and rushed back down and out to the training ground. It was huge to say the least with wooden dummies with targets painted on them so he can practice his throwing, as well as some padded logs for taijutsu practice. The shed also contained some Physical Training gears that would definitely help him out.

He sat down on the grass, opened the scroll and started to read. He read the scroll three times and memorized the steps to Kage Bunshin. It requires a modified single-hand seal that required him to stretch his index and middle finger and form it like a cross with both hands. He is supposed to channel enough chakra to transfer to his clones and mold it before releasing the technique.

It took him almost two hours to get the technique down and was surprised with the result. He was aiming for single clone to appear but the entire training yard was covered in smoke when he shouted the technique. When the smoke disappeared, the entire yard was filled to the brim with shouting Naruto clones. His target was off the mark, he was aiming for a single clone and he got 300 instead. This is going to take a lot of work.

Kyuubi informed him that he has too much chakra so the number of clones was normal even if he tried to control the output. He practiced for another hour until he was able to reduce the clones to 100. Kyuubi instructed him to assign 50 of the clones to go to the library to find Chakra Control exercises and the rest to start cleaning up the place.

He instructed the 50 clones to go to the library to look for Chakra Control exercises and to start practicing them as soon as possible. The rest he told them to go to the shed out back to get some cleaning supplies and start cleaning up the entire house and ground. This got him a lot of grumbling from the clones and some shouts of "Lazy Ass" from a few. A short shouting match ensued but they eventually left to do what he asked. Kyuubi told him that the clones have his personality so he only has himself to blame for it. He grumbled a bit but eventually gave in.

While the clones were busy, Kyuubi instructed Naruto to start improving his body through Physical Training. He told Naruto to start with running laps around the field, as many as he can for 2 hours at full speed. After a few minutes of rest, he told Naruto to start with push-ups, sit-ups, and squats 100 each. He told Naruto to increase his set by 50 once he gotten used to it.

While he was running laps, Kyuubi instructed Naruto to do some shopping with the Hokage later on. He needs to add more to his training equipment, even some weights powered by Chakra to be used in his training. He explained that the weight would help him in increasing his overall body strength since his exercise can only do much to improve his overall physical prowess.

* * *

><p>(TIME SKIP – 2 MONTHS IN TRAINING)<p>

It has been 2 months since Naruto started his Physical and Mental training with Kyuubi as his instructor. His rants of 'slave driver' and 'sadistic fox' fell on deaf ears. It seems that the fox found it humorous to make his container suffer through the physical regimen. However, he can never deny the results after 2 months of hard work.

Naruto can now do at least 30 laps around the training compound for 2 hours at full sprint without tiring out. When he applied training weights to his body when he first started out practically brought the count down but he got used to it after a while. He started out with 20-pounds on both hands and leg and upped them when he got used to the weights. In only two months, each of the weights is now at 100-pounds each. Kyuubi advised him to maintain the weight for at least a month more before increasing them so his growth won't be stunted by the extra burden.

Speaking of growth, with the addition of healthy meals, Naruto's body filled out quite nicely. He is now sporting a height of 5 feet instead of his usual 4'5. His muscles were showing quite nicely but Kyuubi advised him not to overdo his weight training to avoid excessive muscles that will be a problem later on.

His Chakra Control is now in low Chunnin standard. He mastered the tree walking exercise but Kyuubi advised him to continue with the said exercise while doing a full spar while sticking on the sides of the tree. Kyuubi explained that a Shinobi should be able to instinctively do the exercise even when in full battle.

Taijutsu was slow at the moment since he found the styles in the library to be unfit for his taste. He was learning the Fox Fist from Kyuubi in the mindscape since it fits well with his build. The Fox Fist was an exclusive style of the Kitsune clan. It emulated the attack patterns of the vulpine species using speed and exceptional agility to land hits on the target. The hits were small but the continuous attacks can hold up to more damaging results. Kyuubi also told him that his current training method was for the Fox Fist style so he was determined to continue his Physical Training to be fit enough to master the style.

His Ninjutsu training was currently on hold since Kyuubi advised him to stick with expanding his mind instead of memorizing jutsus. He informed Naruto that elemental jutsus was not in a hurry for him to learn since he can easily command his Elemental Orbs to do all sorts of attacks with a simple command. The bijuu informed him that this was an advantage in the midst of battle since he is not hindered with doing hand seals to release an attack. Instead, Kyuubi instructed Naruto to read through jutsu scrolls and understand how the attack worked so he can replicate it with his bloodline. Also, knowing the different jutsu practice by Shinobis will give him an edge in battle. If he knows what his enemies are using against him then he can easily come up with a counter for it.

During his two months of scouring the Namikaze-Uzumaki library, Naruto found Fuuinjutsu to be an interesting subject. The Hokage told him that his father, the Yondaime was a Seals Master unrivaled in all the Elemental Nations so this was enough reason for Naruto to dive into the subject with gusto. However, the Hokage instructed him to just read from the books and practice his calligraphy skills so he won't have problems later on when he starts to put it into practice.

Regarding the Summoning Contracts, the Hokage told him that among the contracts, the Dragon Summoning was an heirloom of the Uzumaki Clan. The Tiger and the Bird contract were spoils of battle by Kushina. None of them was signed except for the Dragon contract. He was excited to sign all three contracts but the old man forbade him to do so until his Chakra Control progressed to Water Walking to avoid unnecessary chakra drain. He also told Naruto that he might not be able to sign all the contracts since he needs express permission from the boss of each summons to do so.

Speaking of the old man, he was a regular visitor to the compound. The Hokage made weekly visits to check on his progress and making sure that Kyuubi wasn't hurting Naruto with his training. He definitely approved of the results. He grew closer with the old man as they made periodic walks around the village or to eat some ramen with the Ichiraku family. He also noticed that the villager's were no longer hostile to him. It seemed that the council released the information about his parentage that made the all the heated glares and sneers disappear. Naruto didn't let this get to him since Kyuubi told him that these people were just impressed by his name and not him alone. This made him sad for a while but he was determined to earn their respect through his actions.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 5 MONTHS IN TRAINING)<p>

Naruto's Chakra Control improved enough that he was able to master Water Walking while sparring with his clones. He was excited over the Summoning Contracts that made him work twice as hard but instead of focusing on summoning animals, he diverted his attention for now to mastering his Chakra Manipulation bloodline.

Kyuubi was helpful since he was purely made of Chakra. All of his attacks were purely Chakra Manipulation so we was able to give Naruto much needed tips for him to accomplish some techniques that he invented on his own.

Naruto found out that Chakra Manipulation requires both conscious thought and deep control over his Chakra. During his experimentation, he found out that he needs to carefully channel Chakra through his tenketsus and release them while consciously molding them to a shape he wanted it to have. It took him a month before he was able to consciously release Chakra on specific tenketsu points but it was enough to get him started.

His first project was to create a blade made of Chakra. Since he wanted to honor his mother by practicing Kenjutsu, he tried to use a blade made of Chakra since his mother's Katana was too big for him to handle at his current age. He was able to create a 3-foot blade made of Chakra but he needs to improve his control if he wants to give it a sharp edge or change its size at will.

It took him another month to fully master his Chakra Blade and finally started in learning the basics of his mother's Kenjutsu style, the Whirlpool Blade Style. It was a style that made the Uzumakis deadly in battle. The style incorporated a flowing rhythm used along with speed and agility in order to outwit their opponents, disarming them, and precise strikes for damaging results. After finishing the instructions on the scroll, he found out that his current Physical Training made him a beginner in the style so he diligently practiced the basics for now before moving on to the next level.

His Taijutsu style improved as well. Kyuubi deemed him to be at least Chunnin level on the Fox Fist style. He was advised by the bijuu to practice his Chakra Manipulation to allow him to created Chakra Nails at the tips of his fingers since most of the attacks of the Fox Fist were purely on stabbing specific weak points in the human body, as well as slashing.

Naruto's training on his Elemental Orbs was coming along nicely. With his studies on various Ninjutsu techniques, he was able to utilize specific attacks and defense according to Elements. Deciding to base his attacks according to Elemental attributes, he devised various defensive measures for specific elemental attacks.

For example, if the enemy fired a lightning jutsu at him then he can easily create a defense of wind since lightning is weak against that element. He also noted on the elements that amplifies other elements as well such as wind amplifying fire-based attacks, and stronger lightning attacks because of a targets exposure to water. This way, he can avoid using elements that will bite him in the ass later on.

His Fuuinjutsu training is currently on hold since he doesn't have any experts around to check his work. Upon reading the materials from his father, a wrong stroke or activation on unfinished or flawed seals can have devastating effects or harmful to the user. It wouldn't do much good to create a flawed sealing scroll that will turn into a bomb after applying chakra to it. He continued to just read through his dad's notes on sealing and leave it at that for now.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 1 YEAR OF TRAINING, 2 MONTHS BEFORE START OF ACADEMY)<p>

With Kyuubi's hellish training regimen, Naruto was now judged to be from High Chunnin to Low Jounin.

His weights are now at 200 pounds each but can easily stay at Chunnin speed even with it on. Kyuubi judged him to be at almost expert level with the Fox Fist style and his Kenjutsu is basically at Low Chunnin. His Chakra Control progressed to the point that he can easily fight on any surface for hours without tiring.

His Elemental Orbs can now be called an Absolute Defense without any holes in it if he is aware of any attacks. On a subconscious level, he was able to make it to the point that his Elemental Orbs can block off any Elemental attacks using the opposite element thereby strengthening his defense. Dog was more than happy to fire his jutsus at him for this practice when he was available to help Naruto out.

Naruto's Chakra Manipulation is hampered by his large reserves. Large creations like his sword and longer nails are easy, but making something small requires him to concentrate more.

He also experimented with his Kamigan during his training and found out some interesting facts about its overall abilities.

When the Kamigan activate, it allowed him to see Chakra. This made it easy for him to utilize his Chakra Manipulation techniques since he can easily mold them to any shape if he can see what he's doing. It also lessened the concentration needed for any shape which made it possible for him to master his Chakra Nails.

Another interesting ability of the activated Kamigan is its total immunity with any forms of Genjutsu. He found out its ability by accident when Dog was teaching him the basics of Genjutsu, which is by far the worst of all his abilities. His overly large Chakra reserves made it almost impossible to create any Genjutsu but it made him immune to up to Low A Rank Genjutsus. Dog was trying to entrap him in a Genjutsu during one of their spars but he noticed that it didn't take any effect since his Kamigan was active. Dog called the spar to a halt and tested out the theory and found out that the Kamigan has an automatic defense to Genjutsu, which made Naruto immune to it if it is active. They both realized that Naruto's bloodline made him immune to any attacks short of physical.

Naruto was currently busy with his Taijutsu practice when the Hokage paid him a visit with a serious look on his face.


	6. Chapter 6 Proving My Skills

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Naruto. (How I wish I did ^_^)**

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><p><strong>Here are some of the reactions I have to the review I got from my readersvisitors:**

**To Janelly Slytherin: **I'm not sure how I'm going to portray Sasuke. To be honest, in the Manga/Anime, there weren't a lot of scenes that tells much about Sasuke's overall psychology except in the later part of the story. I consulted my sister who is interested in Psychology and gave me some rough idea on how these types of people act. For one thing, he would be ego-driven due to his Avenger status, so you can definitely predict how he would react to Naruto's skills.

**To Princess Aoife & foxfire-snapdragon: **Thanks for pointing the reference on Kyuubi. I already edited it and made it a point to pay a lot of attention to the details involved so I won't make the same mistake again. Also regarding your request on potential love interest for Naruto, I would say its non-existent for now. Besides, don't you think the characters are a bit too young for that? heheheheh

**To Tobi Fan 321: **Thanks for the heads up. I already made the changes. Thanks again.

**To ero-sennin56: **No worries. All fruity stuff will be properly marked for rated users.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Proving My Skills<strong>

Naruto took a break from his Taijutsu training upon seeing the Hokage enter the Namikaze-Uzumaki compound. What made him pause, however, was the serious look on his face that always spelled trouble which always seems to include him for some reason.

"Hey jiji. Nice of you to visit. What can I do for you?" greeted Naruto in a cheerful voice.

"Good morning Naruto. Training hard I see?" replied the Hokage, still serious.

Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment and gave the old man a goofy grin. "Yeah. Kyuubi is a slave driver. He doesn't want me to slack off in my training and want me to master Fox Fist style as soon as possible. He said that it would serve me well in the future."

"Indeed. Having a solid grasp on a Taijutsu style is basic in the Shinobi arts." He paused a bit, seeming to ponder his next words carefully. "Naruto, I came with some news though none of them are good at the moment so maybe we can go inside your house so we can talk?"

Naruto immediately picked up the seriousness of the matter so he nodded and guided the old man to the kitchen. When the old man sat down, he hastily prepared tea for his guest. He sat down after pouring both of them a cup.

"Now what do you want to talk about old man?" asked Naruto.

The Hokage didn't say anything but reached inside his robe and pulled out a small black book. He turned a few pages and handed it to Naruto. He picked it up and read what the page says.

_Name: Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto_

_Affiliation: Civilian, Konohagakure no Sato_

_Rank: A_

_Age: 9_

_Bloodline: Kamigan (God's Eye)_

_Abilities: The target is able to command the elements to attack and defend. Taijutsu-Unknown, Ninjutsu-Unknown, Genjutsu-Unknown. _

_Warning: DO NOT underestimate despite his age. Reported to be dangerous according to sources. Ability is able to destroy large numbers in a matter of seconds. _

_Bounty: 10,000,000 ryo_

_Status: Alive – Kill or Apprehend on sight_

Naruto was shocked. He was in a book and it looks like he is a wanted criminal. This shook him to the very core. What is the meaning of this?

He looked at the Hokage's somber face. "What is this jiji?" His voice shook as he voiced out his question. The Hokage sighed.

"That Naruto-kun is a Bingo Book from Iwagakure."

"What is a Bingo Book?"

"A Bingo Book is like a wanted poster for all shinobis with a bounty on their heads. It seems that Iwa got word of your inheritance, how, I don't know. I would guess that someone from the council released your information outside the village. Iwa got word of it and immediately placed you in their Bingo Book with a large reward. Still a child but already an A-Rank nin." He chuckled over the last part.

"But why? I didn't do anything to them? Why would they add me in the Bingo Book and to be killed for Kami's sake." whined Naruto.

"Naruto, you need to understand that Iwa harbors a major hatred against your father, and in this case, your family. In the Third Great Shinobi War, your father decimated hundreds of Iwa shinobis with his Hiraishin. The Namikaze name is greatly feared in Iwa and it seems that this fear and hatred have carried on to you." The Hokage explained in a serious tone. Naruto sighed.

"I guess there is nothing we can do about this. I mean there is no way we can just send a word to their Kage and tell them to remove me from their Bingo Book." said Naruto in a dejected voice.

"Indeed. Don't worry Naruto. I have the ANBU on the case. They are on alert around the village and my spies outside the village are monitoring all shinobis they can find just in case some of them plan to go ahead with your bounty."

"Thanks old man. I guess I need to train harder so I can protect myself." said Naruto, smiling a bit over the irony of the situation. He always aimed to gain the respect of everyone through his actions, but it seems that he got the opposite. He hasn't even ventured outside the village and he is already known and feared by Iwa. It was ironic indeed.

"You're welcome Naruto. Now what I want to do right now is to test you. I have no doubt that you have come a long way in the Shinobi arts. I want to have a spar with you to see what you're capable of. I decided to see what you can do to alleviate this old man's fears when you become a shinobi of Konoha." said the Hokage but you can see the excited gleam in his eyes over the prospect of battling Naruto.

"Sure jiji. When you do want to hold the spar?" asked an over-excited Naruto.

"Why don't we adjourn to your training ground and have our spar there?" asked the Hokage.

"Sure jiji. Let's go!" he paused "Can you wait for me in the training ground? I need to change into my Shinobi outfit. If you want to spar then we might as well make this a Shinobi spar right?" The Hokage laughed.

"I wouldn't want it any other way Naruto. See you outside." With that, the Hokage left for the training ground while Naruto went up to his room to change into his Shinobi outfit.

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><p>The Hokage's jaw dropped when Naruto came out of the house and into the training ground. He looked just like Minato when he was his age. It seems that Naruto emulated his father's outfit into his own battle gear.<p>

He saw that Naruto was wearing a black muscled shirt that revealed his lithe muscles underneath. He wore a dark gray cargo pants with multiple pockets that can easily hold small scrolls and supplies. He also wore a pair a black combat boots instead of the usual Shinobi sandals. Holsters were strapped on both his thighs, possibly holding kunais and shurikens. Over his shirt, he wore a white robe with blue flames at the hem. The sleeves of the robe were lose and almost reached his fingers. Over his heart is the insignia of the Uzumaki-Namikaze clan, on the other side, however, held a curious design, a fox with five tails each with a different color signifying his Elements.

"_Minato, Kushina, you would have been very proud of your son."_ thought the Hokage.

Naruto approached the Hokage and gave him a cheeky grin. "So jiji, what do you think?" The Hokage gave an approving nod.

"You look good Naruto-kun. It seems that you based your Shinobi outfit with your father's. It suits you perfectly as his heir."

"Thanks jiji. So how do you want to do this?" asked Naruto.

"Why don't we start out with the Taijutsu first followed by Ninjutsu. Then we can go into an all-out spar. What do you think?" Naruto gave him an enthusiastic nod.

"Sure jiji. Anytime you're ready old man." With that, Naruto went into his Taijutsu stance.

The Hokage saw Naruto went into a battle-ready stance. It seems that Kyuubi's tutelage over the Fox Fist style suited Naruto very well. There were no holes in his defenses.

Naruto slid into a basic stance of the Fox Fist style. Left leg front and right leg back. His right hand was balled into a fist and pulled back to his right hips while his left hand was out in front with hands resembling that of a claw. Overall, it was an intimidating sight.

The Hokage nodded his approval over the powerful stance in front of him. He pulled off his robe to reveal his battle outfit similar to that of the Shodaime. He took off his Kage hat, threw it in one corner of the training field and got into a battle stance.

Naruto wasted no time in waiting. He tensed a bit then shot off at his opponent with amazing speed which shocked the Hokage. He took a swipe with his left hand which the Hokage easily dodged and lashed out with a kick to the ribs which the old man blocked an arm. The blow was definitely strong.

"_There was a lot of power in that kick. To think that he didn't even channel chakra to amplify the blow."_ thought the surprised Hokage.

Wanting to get this show on the road, the old man lashed out with a well-aimed punch to Naruto's chest which was swiped away that effectively opened up his defense. Naruto took action and released a punch that almost got him but was barely able to block with an arm.

They continued trading blows for a few more minutes, none gaining an advantage over the other. What Naruto lack in experience he made up with speed and agility.

The Hokage seeing that Naruto's Taijutsu was effective, he decided to go all out and released a barrage of punches and kicks that slowly destroyed the young man's defense. After a few seconds of blocks and blows, the Hokage saw a hole in the young man's defense and quickly lashed out with a well aimed kick to the chest.

Naruto felt air left his lungs with the strength of the kick that sent him sprawling to one end of the training ground. He groaned but immediately got up and took up a defensive stance while waiting for his healing factor to take care of the damage.

"Very good Naruto. Your Taijutsu is definitely on mid-Chunnin level. It seems that the Fox Fist style suited you well. You can easily improve when you gain battle experience as you match your ability with other opponents. Now let's proceed with Ninjutsu. Prepare yourself." shouted the old man and went through a series of hand seals and released his technique.

**Earth Style: Mud Bullets**

The Hokage took a deep breath then shot out a couple of mud bullets at Naruto with amazing speed and accuracy.

Naruto was already healed when he heard the old man complimented his Taijutsu and told him to proceed with Ninjutsu. He was caught off guard when the old man sped through a series of hand seals and shouted an earth technique.

Not wasting any time, Naruto immediately activated his Kamigan. The Elemental Orbs immediately materialized around him then threw his arm out willing the Water Orb to release a torrent of water in front of him, successfully stopping the attack.

He raised another arm and commanded the Wind Orb to release a powerful gust of wind similar to the _Wind Style: Grand Breakthrough_ that he read in one of the Wind Scrolls in his father's library.

The Hokage saw this attack and sped through another set of hand seals and slammed his hands on the ground.

**Earth Style: Earth Wall**

A wall of earth effectively blocked the attack but the strength of Naruto's wind blew a few chunks off the defense but his attack failed to reach the old man.

Seeing that the old man was able to block his attack, Naruto released the Water Orb from its position and command it to take position on top of the field waiting for further commands. When he saw the old man release his defense, he shouted "Now!"

The Water Orb who was innocently hovering over the battlefield released a continuous stream of water that shot off to the Hokage with pinpoint accuracy. He saw this and jumped out of the way but the water seems to follow his movement like a predator to a prey. He continued to dodge but was caught off guard when he heard the crackle of lightning. He looked at the direction of the sound and saw a stream of white lightning heading his way, aiming to electrocute him.

"Shit" the Hokage cursed over the double attack and replaced himself with a log when the attacks hit him.

Naruto saw the Hokage effectively dodging his water attacks and fired off his lightning wave for a pincer move. The attacks hit the Hokage dead center that caused a large shockwave that caused the ground to shake. When the smoke died down, all he saw was a large burnt log in the middle of the crater that his attacks created. He heard something behind him only to turn and saw a large fireball screaming towards him.

"Damn it." He reacted instinctively and a wall of earth shot out of the ground to block the incoming ball of fiery death.

The attack was effectively cut off but the old man wasn't done yet. Seeing that Naruto was blinded because of the wall of earth he created to block his fireball, he teleported behind the boy and released a stream of red-hot fire.

**Fire Style: Raging Inferno**

Naruto felt the Hokage behind him but he was ready this time. He recalled the Water Orb from its vantage point on top of the battle field to his side then commanded it to release a powerful jet of water. Both attacks collided between them causing a large amount of steam to appear.

Getting tired of basic attacks, Naruto prepared his Orbs for his ultimate attack that he practiced a few months back. "I hope your ready old man. Have a taste of my ultimate technique!" Naruto shouted and threw both his arms out to the Hokage.

The Elemental Orbs followed their master's command and floated in front of his outstretched hands and got into formation. The orbs took its place in front of Naruto creating a circular formation, like that of a five-pointed star similar to his Kamigan and rotated, slowly at first then at high speed that made them appear as a blur. Without warning each orb released its own set of attacks while spinning, releasing a twirling mass of Elemental barrage in a steady stream that definitely reeked of power and destruction.

The Hokage saw this and paled. Each of the elemental attacks packs quite a punch but all of them together will surely kill him. It has enough chakra to turn him into dust. In desperation, the Hokage sped through a series of hand seals for his own ultimate defense and slammed it on the ground, hoping against hope that it would hold against Naruto's powerful assault.

**Earth Style: Ultimate Defense: Kami's Embrace**

A 7-feet thick slab of earth appeared around the Hokage creating a semi-circular shield around him that met the attack head on.

Naruto's attack hit the thick shield of earth causing a shockwave. The shield held so Naruto kept the attack on hoping to break the old man's defense. A few minutes of stalemate, Naruto was almost depleted of chakra so he stopped the attack and promptly fell to his knees gasping for breath. When he looked up, he saw that the Hokage's shield was sporting cracks all over and the part that got hit by his attacks was cracked and showing signs of giving way.

The Hokage felt Naruto's attack subside so he allowed the shield to crumble and saw his surrogate grandson kneeling on the ground panting. He was proud of the boy for his achievement. That last attack was definitely powerful. The boy was young so his chakra reserves weren't at its prime so it is only normal for the boy to almost pass out of exhaustion after all the attacks and defenses he released during their spar.

He walked over to the boy and knelt down. "Are you ok Naruto?"

Naruto took in a deep breath to satiate his craving lungs, still exhausted over the last attack. "Yeah…I'm alright…that last attack was supposed to only last for a few seconds but I kept it up for so long that it drained me." The Hokage nodded.

"Indeed. The last attack was so powerful that I have no choice but to bring out my own ultimate defense. It was one of my personal techniques that created a thick shield of earth strengthened by my own chakra. If you kept that attack up for a few more seconds then it would have broken through and obliterated me." said the Hokage, his voice spoke of how proud he was of his achievement.

"But still I wasn't able to beat you old man." said a dejected Naruto.

"Come now Naruto. I'm the Hokage. I should be strong enough to protect the village and those I love. I wouldn't be much of a Hokage if I was brought down easily, would you?" chuckled the old man.

"You're right. Hehehehe I guess I was just expecting too much of myself." said Naruto, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Nonsense. You did more than I expected and proud of you my boy. You held your own against me and I'm sure that you can easily protect yourself when the need arises. Now, let's head over back to your home. There are some things we need to discuss especially with the Academy opening in 2 months.

Naruto nodded and took one last deep breath of air then stood up. He stretched for a bit to loosen some of the muscles before heading over to the kitchen. He brought out the left over cake from the fridge and a pitcher of orange juice and placed it on the table.

"So jiji. What do you think of the spar?" asked Naruto wanting to know how he feared against the Hokage. He took a slice of cake and bit a large chunk out of it.

The Hokage sipped his juice and gathering his thoughts to give Naruto a proper evaluation. "Well, I can only say that I'm proud of you my boy. The spar itself was amazing and you were displaying skills that Jounins can only dream off. Your Taijutsu is easily Chunnin level and can even give off devastating attacks if you take time to channel chakra through them and your speed is also at Chunnin level."

"Heheheh I knew I forgot something. I forgot to remove my training weights. Heheheh" said a sheepish Naruto.

The Hokage was floored. Naruto was that fast even with weights on? This kid keeps on surprising him. "How much weight do you have on Naruto-kun?"

"Hmmm let me see, I'm at 200 pound each on my wrists and legs. So I guess I have a total of 800 pounds of weights on me." said a grinning Naruto.

"I…see." The Hokage felt his jaw drop when Naruto told him the amount of weights on his body. He immediately agreed that Kyuubi was a slave driver. Even the famed Maito Guy didn't have that amount of weights when he was at Naruto's age. "So if you remove your weights, I would say that you are at Jounin speed?"

"Yep. According to Kyuubi, I would be at Mid to High Jounin with my weights off." said Naruto proudly. The Hokage nodded.

"Amazing. It seems that you're training was quite serious eh Naruto? Well let's continue with the assessment of your skills. If what you say is true that you could have easily landed a blow when your weights is removed so I guess your overall Taijutsu is at Jounin level. Your Ninjutsu was indeed noteworthy especially on how you manipulated your Elemental Orbs, especially for that last attack. Can you explain it to me?" asked the Hokage.

"Sure jiji. I don't have a name for my last attack yet. I only perfected it last month when I saw one of Dog's jutsu while we were sparring. The attack was a combination of all five elements. What I did was to let the orbs spin in a circular formation in front of me at high speed. This way, when they release their attacks, it would come together like a drill. Aside from the elemental damage, Kyuubi told me that the spinning motion of all the elements will allow it to act like a drill that is able to bypass any forms of defense." Naruto paused a bit. "I guess I can call that attack Five-Elemental Drill or Elemental Drill." He finished excitedly.

The Hokage laughed at Naruto's child-like enthusiasm over the naming of his technique. "Indeed. The name suits the technique well. Now Naruto, in 2 months you will be attending the Academy so we need to talk about how you would be acting around the rest of your peers." The old man said in a serious voice.

Naruto cocked his head to the side, curious over what the Hokage was insinuating. "What do you mean jiji?"

"What I want you to do Naruto is to downplay your abilities. Your Elemental Orbs are already well-known throughout the village so you can use them as you see fit. However, I want you to downplay your overall skills to avoid alerting your enemies to what you are truly capable off. Remember, a shinobi's most powerful tool is deception so I want you to hide your skills and only bring them out in dire situations. You can be open with your skills once you have reached the rank of Chunnin." explained the Hokage.

"_**He has a point kit. Not only will you bond with your peers but you will surely have the element of surprise when you are in battle. If they don't know what you can do then they will be unprepared for it."**_ advised Kyuubi. He was proud of his container. The battle was indeed amazing. The way he used his elements to attack and defend was noteworthy. The last attack definitely has potential, especially when Naruto's development reaches his prime.

"Ok old man. I'll do that." said Naruto.

"Thank you Naruto. Also, I want you to expand your supplemental jutsus. Since you already have the Elemental techniques down, I want you to increase your survival rate using supplemental ninjutsus. You didn't use any of it in battle so I guess you didn't take that into consideration during your training."

"Supplemental jutsus? What are those?" asked a confused Naruto.

"Those are the basic jutsus taught in the Academy. You already have the _Bunshin_ (Clone) technique down so you might want to expand your repertoire with _Kawarimi_ (Substitution), _Henge_ (Transformation), and maybe _Shunshin_ (High-Speed Teleportation). This will greatly aid you in battle."

Naruto was excited in learning those techniques. They sound interesting to say the least. He immediately created 5 shadow clones and instructed them to go to the library and search those techniques out and any other supplemental jutsus that he would want to learn. The Hokage chuckled over Naruto's enthusiasm and laughed outright when he created Shadow Clones and instructed them to go to the library to search those techniques out. Things will definitely be fun in the future with Naruto on the job.


	7. Chapter 7 When Summons Collide

**Disclaimer: Naruto ain't mine so go away evil legalities. ^_^  
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><p><strong>Chapter 7: When Summons Collide<strong>

Naruto spent the last two months before attending Academy with Physical Training, as well as getting to know his summons well. It didn't take much for them to agree to have him sign all three contracts at once but the argument that broke over who would be his primary summon took quite a while to solve.

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><p>(FLASHBACK 1 MONTH BEFORE ACADEMY STARTS)<p>

Naruto was in the training field preparing himself to sign the Summoning Contracts. He, along with the Hokage decided to get this done because the aid of summons would greatly help him in the future.

The Hokage told Naruto to start first with the Dragon Summon contract since it is part of his inheritance and it wouldn't take much for him to be accepted by the boss.

"So jiiji. What should I do first?" asked the Hokage while laying down the three Summoning Contracts on the grass.

"Open up the Dragon Summoning Contract first. You need to sign your name on the contract with your blood then finish it off by stamping your handprint in blood on top of your name. After doing so, all you need to do is to perform a couple of hand seals and channel as much chakra as you can while shouting out the technique.

Naruto did as he was instructed and opened the Dragon Summoning Contract first. He saw that the last entry was signed by his mother and a wave of nostalgia flowed through him. He considered it an honor to follow his mother's footsteps and become the next Dragon summoner - that is if he is accepted by the boss summon.

He bit into his thumb and signed his name on the contracts and dipped each finger of his right hand on the bleeding thumb to get some blood on it them stamped it down above his name. He rolled the scroll up, took a deep breath to calm himself, then flashed through the hand seals that the Hokage showed him earlier while gathering as much chakra he could then slammed his right hand on the ground with a shout **"Summoning Technique"**.

A large puff of smoke covered the entire training field. After dispersing, it revealed a large dragon almost as tall as the Hokage Monument. It was covered in bluish-white scales that covered it from the head to the top of its tail that reflected the rays of the sun making it look like finely-cut sapphires. The dragon sported a main of silvery hair that separated the head from its long body. The head was definitely one to inspire awe and fear more so with the rest of its stature. The eyes of the dragon was of deep cerulean blue like Naruto's own and one whisker on each side of the nose. It released a loud roar that resounded all throughout the village. He looked down towards Naruto.

"**Who summoned me, the leader of the Dragon Clan?"** the Dragon bellowed in a loud voice.

Naruto calmed himself real quick. It would do much good to faint dead in front of such majestic creature even if he was justified to do so. "I…I did." stuttered Naruto.

The dragon seeing Naruto admit that he was the summoner lowered his head to get a good look at the boy. He sniffed and smelled the faint scent of the Uzumaki Clan that he remembered a decade ago. Indeed, this was her child then.

"**Who are you young one and why have you summoned me?"** asked the gigantic summon.

"My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto Dragon-sama." replied Naruto in a confident tone.

"Uzumaki? Interesting. Tell me boy. Where did you get the contract?"

"**I found the contract in my family's library. The old man told me that the Dragon Summoning Contract is a part of my mother's inheritance." **

"There is truth to your words boy. Now tell me, who is your mother?"

"My mother is Uzumaki Kushina Dragon-sama."

The Dragon was now very interested in the child. This was Kushina's boy. **"You are Kushi-chan's child?"** getting a nod from Naruto, he continued. **"Tell me child, why have you summoned me?"**

"I signed the contract in hopes of following my mother's footstep to become the next summoner of the Dragon Clan." replied Naruto with a heavy overtone of determination in his voice. This surprised the dragon a bit. It seems that Kushina's determination appeared true to her child. But not everyone can just sign the contract and become the next Dragon Summoner, and hopefully the Dragon Sage as well. He needs to pass the test first.

"**That is a worthy goal child. But in order for you to be accepted by the Dragon Clan, you need to pass my test first. Are you ready child? Know that once you failed in the test then there is no second chance. I will take the Dragon Contract with me until we find the next worthy summoner for our clan. Do you wish to proceed child?" **said the Dragon, trying to scare the boy to see if his determination is true.

Naruto didn't back down and wasn't scared to say the least. Hearing the repercussion of the test didn't faze him one bit. Instead he just glared at the dragon and showed fiery determination in his eyes. "Bring it on! I'm not scared!" This brought forth a healthy chuckle from the immense summon.

"**We shall see child. My test is the test of the soul. I will be seeing your life and decide then if you are fit to be the holder of my clan's contract."** He moved his head closer to the boy that brought them face-to-face, which was a feat in itself since the dragon's head alone dwarfed Naruto by a large margin. **"Enough!"** the dragon bellowed. **"Look deep into my eyes child and let me into your soul."**

The dragon looked into Naruto and saw his life bared for him to see. He saw the fierce determination that allowed the boy to go through with his rigorous training. He was shocked that the boy also holds the Kyuubi like his mother before him. He growled at the beatings and glares he got from the villagers and was curious over the evolution of his bloodline. But despite everything that the child has seen and experience, the courage and determination of his is unsurpassed. The dragon decided there and then that this child is a worthy summoner for his clan.

The dragon released his mental link with the boy and boomed in a loud, yet soft voice. **"I find you worthy to be the Dragon Clan's summoner Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. You have faced rough challenges in your life but you faced it head on with enough courage and bravery of that of an entire army. You may address me as Seiryuu, the Boss of the Dragon Clan and you may summon me and my clan for any task you wish. My only advice that you stay true to your goal in life and don't let your determination and courage waver despite the future you have chosen to thread."**

Naruto nodded and was glad that he was accepted by the great Dragon in front of him. He bowed low to the Dragon Boss. "My gratitude to you Seiryuu-sama. I promise that I will uphold the Dragon Clan's honor as its summoner and will not abuse this gift that you allowed me."

The dragon chuckled. **"Indeed child. Is there anything else you wish of me before I return to my home?"** asked Seiryuu.

"Ummmm…I wonder if you would allow me to sign other contracts?" asked Naruto. The dragon gave him a long look, pondering the request.

"**Tell me child, why would you want to sign other contracts that you already have one that is more powerful than the rest."** queried Seiryuu.

"To be honest, I don't have reason for doing so Seiryuu-sama. The only reason I could think off when the thought occurred to me is to honor my mother by using the contracts that she has gained during her time as a Shinobi. I wasn't sure if such a thing was allowed so I would like to ask your permission, as my Clan Summon, if it is allowed."

The Boss Dragon pondered over the boy's request. **"Which contracts were you planning to sign?"**

"The Tiger and Bird Contract." Naruto informed the dragon.

"**Oh? Those contracts have been thought lost over the ages. It seems that Kushi-chan has found them and kept them as her own. I give my permission to sign other contracts and would ask of you to treat them as you would treat my clan. The Tiger and Bird clan have been close friends with my kind so this wouldn't go against any treaty between summons. I will inform them upon my return to my plane. Summon them in an hour so they may know about you."** The Dragon gave his approval the disappeared in a large puff of smoke.

Both Naruto and the Hokage released the breath they were holding with a large sigh. Being under the shadow of the great Dragon was too much for them to handle. They both know that the Dragon Clan is one of the strongest summon in the Summoning Realm and insulting one is tantamount to suicide.

The Hokage released a throaty chuckle, Naruto just looked at him confused by the sudden laughter. "What's wrong jiji?"

"Oh nothing Naruto-kun. It's just that you keep surprising me. Not only did you gain the allegiance of one of the strongest summoning clans in the entire nation that dwarfed the Sannins own, but he gave you permission to sign the others as well."

"Really? Is the Dragon Clan really that strong?" asked Naruto. The Hokage nodded.

"Yes, there are four Legendary Summons that existed since the time of the Rikkudo Sennin – the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan to name a few. But that's a story for another time." This got a pout from Naruto and seeing his face made the Hokage release another set of chuckles. "Why don't we get something to eat? You need to replenish your Chakra reserves since you will be summoning the two other contracts you have. I don't have any idea about the Tiger and Bird contract since there has bee no record of them here in Konoha so it would be best to prepare for the worst."

This got a nod from Naruto and both adjourned to the kitchen to make some snacks and pass the time.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 1 HOUR AFTER MEETING THE DRAGON BOSS)<p>

Naruto and the Hokage was again in the training yard preparing for the next set of summons.

"By the way Naruto, when you summoned Seiryuu, how much chakra did it take to bring him here?" asked a curious Sarutobi.

Naruto pondered for a bit. It didn't really eat up a lot of chakra for him to summon Seiryuu but compared to his reserves it would probably take Jounin level. "I guess it took about a fifth of my reserves jiji." He admitted to the old man.

Sarutobi did a double take. A fifth of Naruto's current Chakra supply was comparable to that of a Jounin level ninja. Usually, summons would only require just a small amount of chakra to initiate the transfer but for Naruto to reveal that it ate up a fifth of his supply then it would definitely knockout any seasoned Jounin just by summoning the boss. As far as he knew, it didn't take that much to even summon his Enma or Jaraiya's Gamabunta. He guessed that not everyone is capable of summoning a Legendary Summon, like Seiryuu. "Ok Naruto-kun. How is your chakra supply now?"

"I'm at full capacity jiji. I don't know why Kyuubi replenished my chakra stores without me asking. He just told me to prepare for the next set of summons. He even suggested to do both at the same time. What do you think?" asked Naruto.

"Well, if Kyuubi said so then you might as well do it. He hasn't let you down as of yet so there is no reason not to trust him." replied Sarutobi. _"For now."_ he added as an afterthought.

Naruto just shrugged and opened up both contracts at the same time. He signed the Bird Contract first followed shortly by the Tiger. He closed both after signing then gathered double the chakra he used to summon Seiryuu then slammed his hand on the ground while shouting out the technique.

This time, the smoke that appeared was larger than his previous attempt. In fact, the ground was covered with them along with the surrounding woods. This scared Sarutobi a bit since only very large summons could produce this much smoke when they appeared. When the smoke cleared, what he saw definitely scared him to the bones. This wasn't any ordinary contract, like Seiryuu, the Bird and Tiger contract was also Legendary Contracts.

The bird was no ordinary bird. It was a Phoenix, one of the Legendary Summons. It was as tall as Seiryuu. Its feathers were a mix of gold and red that made it look like it was on fire. Its wingspan was impressive, possibly able to cover half of Konoha when stretched out. If his memory served him right, this was the Phoenix Summon, Suzaku.

The tiger was the same size as Suzaku. It was none other than the Legendary White Tiger, Byakko.

He decided that either Naruto was amazing or just plain suicidal.

Naruto was starting to get scared now. He thought Seiryuu was impressive but nothing prepared him when these two appeared. He thought that the Tiger and Bird Contract were minor summons but from the looks of these two, there were anything but that. He looked at the Hokage who was also pale and looked a bit scared. "Jiji. I thought that the Bird and Tiger were minor contracts, they don't look ordinary to me." Naruto said in a scared voice.

"Naruto, it seems that these are NOT ordinary contracts that your mother acquired. I understand the Dragon Contract since it has been rumored that it is a part of the Uzumaki clan, but to summon these two as well then I can only say that either you're an amazing boy with the blessings of Kami herself or you're plain suicidal." This got a shocked look from Naruto. "It seems that your luck is with you today boy. You just summoned two others of the Legendary Summons. The bird is a Phoenix named Suzaku, it seems that he is the boss of the Bird Clan. The tiger is the legendary White Tiger Byakko."

"**Indeed we are human. Along with Suzaku and Seiryuu, we are the Legendary Summons." **bellowed Byakko who then released a loud roar similar to that of the Boss Dragon.

Suzaku didn't say anything but lowered her head giving Naruto a leer which scared the poor boy. **"So this is the boy that Seiryuu told us about. He is indeed impressive, don't you think?"** Suzaku asked Byakko.

"**He doesn't look much. He is rather…short." **snorted Byakko.

Naruto hated being called short. Sure he was short for his generation but it wasn't his fault. He activated his Kamigan and the Elemental Orbs appeared around him. He glared at Byakko and shouted. "SHUT UP FURBALL. IF YOU THINK I'M SHORT THEN COME DOWN HERE AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN ASS KICKING THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET!"

Sarutobi was scared stiff now. Naruto just insulted Byakko, one of the Legendary Summons. He prayed to Kami that he would survive this ordeal. He prayed hard that Konoha would survive this. A loud chuckle and an amused screech interrupted him from his so-called 'prayer'.

"**Seiryuu was right. This boy is definitely one of a kind. It's not everyday that a boy would insult me like this." **He bellowed while continuing to chuckle. He looked at Naruto who was fuming for being called short and chuckled some more which didn't bode well with the blonde boy. **"Calm down child. I was just testing the bravery that Seiryuu complimented so much when he brought you to our attention."**

"**He definitely has a lot of spunk to him doesn't he? He wouldn't be a bad summoner for us." **Suzaku looked at Naruto then. **"Boy, why don't you summon Seiryuu. There are some things we need to discuss with him. It's not everyday that we 3 have the same summoner. There are some things that need to be settled."**

Naruto nodded to the request and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He gathered the required chakra, did the seals for the fourth time today then slammed his hand on the ground. Another large puff of smoke appeared in between the two legendary summons which revealed an amused Seiryuu.

"**It hasn't been a day yet and you brought me out again young one. What seems to be the problem?"**

"I don't know Seiryuu-sama. Suzaku-sama and the white furball over there asked me to summon you back here." He pointed an accusing finger at a grumbling Byakko. Seiryuu just gave his fellow summon an amused look.

"**You insulted him didn't you? Among all of us, you have always been one to have a runaway mouth Byakko."**

"**Oh shut up you old pile of scales. I didn't know that the kid doesn't like to be called…SHORT!" **Byakko was interrupted by a large rock that conked him on the head. He looked down and saw a red-faced Naruto with another rock floating in front of him ready to throw again.

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT YOUR OVERGROWN PILE OF FUR"

"**HOW DARE YOU THROW A ROCK AT ME YOU PITIFUL HUMAN!"**

"HUMAN AM I! HERE'S ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU, _YOUR MAJESTY!" _With that, he threw another rock at Byakko which hit him on the nose that caused him to sneeze. Seiryuu was currently laughing his head off and Suzaku was currently sprawled on the ground, rolling in laughter.

Byakko huffed. **"Shut up you two."**

"**Oh no! This is just too much. Byakko, the White Tiger of the Legendary Summons was conked on the head by a small…err…young boy." **bellowed Seiryuu which hastily changed the 'small' adjective before the boy set his sights on him.

"**I am so telling everyone about this. Hahahhaah" **screeched Suzaku.

"**Fine fine. I'll let it go this once shor…" **he paused when he saw the boy create another rock, this one larger than the first two. **"I mean boy." **growled Byakko.

"Just don't call me short." Naruto huffed while crossing his arms over his chest and looked away. This brought a chuckle from the three Legendary beasts.

When Seiryuu got his composure back, he looked over at his fellow summons. **"Why have you asked Naruto to summon me?"**

"**Simple, now that the kid has signed and got accepted by all three of us. We need to decide who becomes the primary summon." **said Byakko.

"**Oh? I thought that is already decided. Since he is an Uzumaki then it only stands to reason that I become his primary summon." **calmly replied Seiryuu.

"**Oh no you don't you old prune. We are all the same rank here so it's not right for you to become his primary summon. I won't have any dragon lording over me." **huffed Suzaku.

"**Well, tough luck you old bag of feathers. He signed MY contract first so I technically hold superiority over both the of you." **said Seiryuu, defending himself.

"**Shut up Seiryuu. Why don't we three deck it out and the winner becomes Naruto's primary summon." **Byakko suggested, itching to get a fight.

"**I agree. It has been a while since we all three went all out in a fight."** Suzaku agreed.

All three were about to attack each other when a huge gust of wind hit them head on. The wind was powerful enough to push them back. They looked down to see that Naruto was panting on the ground, possibly from exhaustion from releasing such a powerful attack just to get their attention. It wasn't easy. After all, they ARE Legendary Summons after all.

Naruto took a deep breath to get some air back to his lungs. He already felt Kyuubi laughing his head off while replenishing his Chakra supply. He growled and looked at the three summons with a glare.

"DON'T YOU DARE FIGHT HERE! YOU'LL DESTROY MY HOUSE! YOU'LL DESTROY ALL OF KONOHA FOR KAMI'S SAKE!" shouted Naruto.

"**Well then young one. How do you think we should settle this dispute?" **said Seiryuu, humoring the child's outburst.

Naruto thought about it at first and asked the three summons in front of him. "Why do I need a primary summon anyway? What's the big deal of having a primary summon?"

Suzaku chose to answer the boy. **"Young one, when someone is worthy or powerful enough to summon one of us then they are automatically our representatives in this world. He will become a Sage taught by our arts and techniques when they reach the proper age and power. So because there are three of us then it is not possible for you to become a Sage when all three of us are your primary summons."**

"Why is that? I mean there is nothing wrong in becoming a Sage for you three." asked a confused Naruto.

"**Look here kid. It's not that simple. Becoming a Sage means that you get a part of our powers. One of us alone will practically boost your powers that you will easily become the strongest among the Elemental Nations. Kami has set this rule so we can't just easily bestow you with all of our abilities. No human should be that powerful. There are limits to these types of things." **explained Byakko.

"Then don't. If you're just going to argue all day then I refuse to become a Sage. I can live without your gifts anyway. I'll get strong on my own. Believe it!" declared Naruto. He has always relied on his own strength and he survived so far without any help so why would this be any different.

This shocked all three summons at the same time. This kid is refusing their gifts that would practically make him the most powerful being on the planet. No human should be able to resist the temptation of power. The lure was just too much. But this kid just scoffed their gifts and just prefers them to be his summons. This kid just keeps amazing them. He is either selfless or just plain stupid.

Seiryuu, Suzaku, and Byakko just gave each other long looks as if communicating with their eyes alone. It seems that Naruto just passed another test; this time, he passed Kami's loophole when such an event happened.

It was Seiryuu who spoke for the three of them. **"Congratulations Naruto. You passed another one of our tests; or to be more precise, you passed Kami's test." **

Naruto just gave all three of his summons a long and confused look. "What do you mean I passed the test? I thought I was already accepted as your summons?

"**Indeed. You did pass our test individually and you have become our summoner. However, you passed another test. An UNSPOKEN test set by Kami herself when more than one Legendary Summon has the same summoner."**

"Ok. I'm really confused. Can you please explain it to me?" asked Naruto.

"**It is simple young one. You see, Kami herself foresaw that it is possible for our Summoning Contracts to befall on the same summoner so it is VERY possible for our special group to have the same summoner. Considering the rule in bestowing our summoner some of our powers, Kami herself made a loophole. A test you might say to see if the person is granted that specific loophole."** Suzaku explained to the blonde boy.

"And what test did I just pass?"

"**Simple. You passed the test of power. You see, it has always been human nature to crave more power. However, there are reasons for such a person to do so. They will either want the power to rule others, to avenge, or even to kill. However, you changed all that. When you saw that we were arguing over the power we can bestow upon you, you made up your mind to forego such gifts and simply rely on your own strength. That shows your determination to rise above others without having to accept power from others. So you passed Kami's test." **crowed Suzaku, proud of his new summoner.

"So since I passed this test, do I still become a Sage and who will become my primary summon?"

"Yes you will become a Sage but instead of being taught our arts, you will be given specific gifts or abilities that we think you might need for the future. Regarding primary summons; well, we ALL would be your primary summon. So we will be giving you our own brand of Summoning Contract as befitting of our and your station." finished Suzaku. She looked at the others and nodded their heads. She rose to her full height and bellowed **"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, do you accept to be the summoner of the Bird Clan?"**

Naruto bowed. "Yes Suzaku-sama." said Naruto with a voice filled with utter determination and conviction.

"**Good. Then hold out your arm and receive my contract with you."** Naruto held out his right arm and Suzaku shot a stream of fire directly at Naruto who didn't even flinch from the incoming flame. Instead of burning Naruto to a crisp, the flame compacted and raced towards his bicep. He felt a small burn then the flame disappeared revealing a phoenix tattoo with the same colors as Suzaku. It was both intimidating and beautiful. **"If you need to summon me or my clan, all you need to do channel your chakra to the tattoo and we will appear."**

This time, Seiryuu spoke. **"Young one. I know that I have already accepted you as the Dragon Clan's summoner but protocol must be followed."** Seeing Naruto nod, he continued. "Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, will you accept the responsibility befitting to that of the Dragon Clan summoner?"

Naruto bowed again and addressed his first summon. "I agree Seiryuu-sama."

"**Very well boy. Make the Dragon Clan proud of your actions. Hold out your right arm to receive my contract."** A bright blue lightning shot out from Seiryuu's mouth and wound itself on Naruto's wrists. When the lightning disappeared it revealed a dragon tattoo wrapped around Naruto's wrist. It bore the likeness of Seiryuu biting its own tail. **"This is similar to Suzaku's mark. To call me and the Dragon Clan, just concentrate your chakra to my tattoo."**

Byakko growled to catch Naruto's attention. **"I hate formalities but oh well."** He drew himself to his full height. **"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, do you accept the duty involved in being the summoner of the Tiger Clan?"**

Naruto was about to call him furball but remembered at the last minute the situation he was in. So he reigned in his childish side and addressed the White Tiger properly as befitting of its station. "I accept, Byakko-sama. I will uphold the honor and duty as befitting of a Tiger Summoner."

Byakko nodded in admiration over Naruto's conviction. "**Good, hold out your right arm to receive my contract."** He opened his mouth and shot a beam of compressed light towards the back of Naruto's hand. He felt his hand numbed a bit when the back of his hand was hit by the light but he just ignored it. The light disappeared and revealed a tattoo of a roaring Byakko.

When the ceremony was finished, Naruto was admiring his new tattoos when Seiryuu spoke. **"Congratulations Naruto. You have become our summoner. You may summon anyone from our clan for anything you wish of us and we will comply with the best of our abilities. The only thing we ask of you is to treat us with respect and we will return it tenfold. Also, summon us 3 years from now to receive our gifts to you." **With that, he poofed back to the Summoning Realm.

"**Farewell for now Na-ru-to-kun!"** Suzaku crooned before puffing away back to the summoning realm leaving a blushing Naruto behind.

"**Well, bye for now SHORTY."** he poofed away before he was hit by a rock the size of his head from an irate Naruto who was contemplating whether to summon the furball so he can hit him again for calling him shorty.

Naruto drew in a deep breath to calm himself down. This has been a hell of a day.


	8. Chapter 8 Academy Days

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nyah!**

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><p><strong>To Kami-no-Ken: <strong>Sorry but Naruto won't be God-like as you said. He will be a strong Shinobi but other than that, he won't be some high-powered ninja that would swathe through dozens of enemies in a blink of an eye. Remember, in both the Mange and Anime, its not the abilities that makes a Shinobi invincible, but the experience and technique then acquire and use.

**To Fan1591903: **As I said to some readers, there won't be any relationship for now. He is just too young for it. Don't worry, unlike my other story, this won't be a YAOI fic. To be honest, I'm not fond of Naruto YAOI. I can't just find anyone that fits well with Naruto's personality. (ex. Naruto/Kiba is just ewww bestiality much, Naruto/Sasuke please they are like oil and water, Naruto/Shino please the bugs!, etc. etc. etc.) So no, NO YAOI for this fic.

**To Raven's claw9958:** Quote: _"this was super duper awsome i the way u showed byakko he seems so cute i just wanna squeez him so tight and hug him and pet him and put him in a dress..."_ Ummmmm I'm scared now.

**Also, I got some anonymous reviews that I made Naruto too strong or that his ability was just too powerful. Ok here are some facts that should bring some stuff to light. **

1. Naruto might have an amazing bloodline but it is limited. He can't do any sub-elements (Ice, Crystal, Wood, etc.). His bloodline only affects the 5 elements (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Lightning.) Also take note that the Kamigan requires activation. If he lost consciousness then his Elemental Orb won't be able to protect him. This is one major flaw to Naruto's Ultimate Defense.

2. We all agree to the fact that having super powers is nothing if you don't know how to use it. Take note that Naruto lacks the experience as befitting of a true powerful Shinobi like his father and mother was. He still has to work his butt off just to reach or surpass their level.

3. Regarding Naruto's summons, just want to remind everyone that it won't make him super strong. Remember the previous chapter during his argument with the summons. He doesn't need their help to become strong. He is determined to work on his own to achieve his dream of being Hokage and to be the strongest Shinobi. In my fic, his summons will be supplementary techniques to be used ONLY in specific circumstances.

4. There was a question if Naruto will be signing the Toad Contract. Well, I won't spoil anything at this point of the story so you will just have to wait for future chapters. (**evil grin**)

5. Many are asking for Genbu to be part of Naruto's summons. Remember, the Legendary Summoning Contracts for the 4 Celestial Beasts/Guardians were said to be lost. Kushina found them during her travels as a Shinobi except for the Dragon Contract which was a Clan Heirloom. I haven't figured out HOW Naruto will find Genbu's contract or even make it so that he can summon them. Who knows what the future might bring. (**another evil grin**)

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Academy Days<strong>

Naruto was not in a good mood. He was violently woken up from a nice sleep by an annoying fox in his head so he wouldn't be late for the Academy.

Speaking of the Academy, this has been a sore subject for Naruto ever since he learned from the old man that there won't be anything useful to learn from there. He realized that the Academy will only be teaching the basics that he already passed with flying colors, mainly the _Kawarimi_ (Substitution), standard _Bunshin_ (Clone), and _Henge_ (Transformation/illusion). He is also not looking forward to a teacher's droning voice going over the history of Konoha over and over again. He can read it from a book or a scroll thank you very much.

However, he can never deny the fact that both Kyuubi and the Hokage pose a good point regarding his attendance in the Academy. This year would be a special year in the Academy since all the Clan Heirs would be attending. They both argued that gaining the attention and friendship of the Heirs would greatly benefit his stature in Konoha. It is also a plus that their parents are in the Shinobi Council so gaining their trust is a pretty good idea.

Grumbling as he threw himself off the warm bed, he went straight to the bathroom for his morning routine but not before making a Shadow Clone and asked it to make some breakfast. After the shower, he dressed in a casual outfit, foregoing his favorite gears since he won't be going into fights anytime soon.

He adjourned to the kitchen to take his breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He dumped the dishes on the sink and created another Shadow Clone to take care of it before dispelling. He also created another clone to go to the library to continue his reading on Fuuinjutsu.

He looked at the time and saw that he still have an hour before the Academy starts so he left the compound and headed straight for the Hokage Tower to have a talk with the old man before going to school.

While he was walking to the Hokage Tower, he noticed the lack of glares and insults from the villagers. Some even greeted him a good morning while others were giving him a bow. It seems that he is now being addressed 'Namikaze-sama' instead of 'demon' or 'brat'. He didn't like it one bit. His goal was to gain their trust and respect through his action so gaining it because of his parents and stature didn't sit too well with him.

He arrived at the Hokage Tower and walked straight through the old man's office. The secretary just gave a polite bow but he could feel the hate emanating from the lady so he just ignored it. When he got to the Hokage's office, he didn't bother to knock and just strolled in. He saw that the old man was busy looking out the window while puffing his pipe every now and then.

"Hiyah jiji." greeted Naruto. The Hokage turned towards Naruto and gave his surrogate grandson a warm smile.

"Good morning Naruto. What brings you here in my office? Aren't you supposed to be in the Academy? It's your first day there you know." said the Hokage. Naruto groaned.

"I know." said Naruto dejectedly.

"Now now my boy. It won't be so bad. Think of it as an experience. Besides, you need to be with people your age. You're already too mature for a 9 year old so having someone within your age group should be fun for you." encouraged Sarutobi.

"Fine old man. You don't have to patronize me you know. I already agreed to attend the Academy for the next 3 years so you don't have to sell the idea to me." Naruto grumbled. The Hokage chuckled.

"Good good. What brings you here to my office? Do you need anything?"

"No not really but I was wondering if it's possible to take a peek at your files regarding my classmates in the Academy, specifically the Clan Heirs."

The Hokage rubbed his chin, thinking about it. "Hmmm that is a good idea. I'm sure that the Clan Heads already warned them about you but you don't know anything about them." he mused. He went behind his desk and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a folder and threw it to Naruto who caught it.

"Thanks old man. I'll return this later when I'm done." said Naruto as he went for the door.

"No need. That is my copy from the original files down in the archive so you can keep it. I'm done going over it." said the Hokage as he waved his hand to tell Naruto to keep the folder. Naruto nodded.

"Sure thing jiji. See you later."

Naruto left the Hokage Tower and made his way to the Academy. He saw that the Konoha Academy was a 3-story building a few blocks away from the Hokage Tower. It doesn't look much but he knew that the building dished out some of the best names in the Konoha, including his mother and father.

He saw that he was still early so he decided to read the files in his classroom. He went up to the second floor and entered room 201. It was empty so he chose a seat at the back of the room which offered a good view of everyone. He pulled up a chair and sat down. He opened up the file he got from the Hokage and started to read about his peers for the next 3 years.

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><p>It didn't take long for his classmates to arrive. One by one they entered the classroom and picked a seat. He was mostly ignored but others were giving him speculative looks. It seems that those giving him the look were the Clan Heirs. The old man was right, they definitely knew about him.<p>

The first two to arrive was Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji. From the file he read, these two were very close and acquainted with the only girl in the current Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

Nara Shikamaru is considered to be a genius for his age. He wasn't powerful physically or chakra-wise but he inherited his dad's competence in strategy and brain power.

Akimichi Chouji is definitely the epitome of his clan. He entered the room with Nara eating a bag of chips. It seems that the Akimichi's love of food was a clan thing. He read in the file that Chouji is a strength-type shinobi due to their family's technique of expanding body parts for battle. This got the attention of his tenant who can't help but make a jab at the info.

"_**I wonder if he can expand THAT body part of his." Kyuubi snickered in his head. **_

"_Shut up Kyuubi. I so don't need that on my head right now."_

"_**Spoilsport." **_

He noticed that Aburame clan heir enter the room in a standard Aburame Clan outfit – a long white trench coat with a high collar that covered half his face and a pair of dark sunglasses. His name was Aburame Shino. He read in the file that the trench coat served as protection for the Kikkai bugs they kept in their bodies. It was a mutual relationship. The bugs feed on the Aburame's chakra while the Aburame would use them in battle.

Behind the Shino was a shy looking girl wearing a thick fur-lined coat. She was a Hyuuga if her eyes were any indication. This was Hinata Hyuuga, the shy heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. Her techniques include advanced Chakra Control and the Juken Style. Definitely a powerful combination but her lack of confidence would be detrimental to her growth. Naruto also noticed that Hinata gave him a glance and blushed. That confused the blonde boy but Kyuubi definitely noticed.

"_**Blackmail material!" **_Kyuubi crowed silently to avoid alerting his container.

The door opened again to reveal the only Uchiha that survived the massacre, Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto knew about him. He was the epitome of brooding. He already knew him personally since they had a few meetings and arguments when they were still young a few years back but nothing that merits them to be friends. He read from the file that Sasuke's personality took a turn for the worst after his brother murdered his entire clan which left him as the sole survivor. There were still speculations why Itachi left him alive.

It seems that the kid was focused on revenge and ignoring everyone around him. He was worshipped by the villagers as the Last Loyal Uchiha and many look up to him to revive and bring back the Sharingan to the village. This made him slightly arrogant in Naruto's books but he reserved further comment until he gets to know him during his time here in the Academy.

A loud bark and a raucous laughter brought him out of his thoughts regarding Sasuke. He looked to the door again and saw the Inuzuka Heir, Kiba and his dog Akamaru. His stats looked promising – physical abilities were above average and good command over his clan's techniques.

Seeing no other important people coming in, Naruto folded his arms on the table and laid his head on it and took a nap while waiting for the class to start.

He was woken out of his nap by a loud yelling in the room. He yawned and saw the source of the noise. Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura were arguing on who was supposed to take a seat beside the lone Uchiha. It seems that the Academy was invaded by…fangirls.

Naruto shuddered to think what would happen if he was placed on the team with one of them, worst both of them, but that was years away so he harbored some thought that they MIGHT change in the future.

Yamanaka Ino was Inoichi's daughter and taught in the clan's Mind Techniques. Haruno Sakura, however, didn't belong to any clan but was the only daughter of the Haruno merchant family. He remembered the pink hair of the councilman that was so against him getting his inheritance. He wondered if they warned Sakura about him. He will have to observe her for now.

Both girls, with their amazing brainpower, decided to take the seats on both sides of Sasuke. He guessed there is something significant in sitting at Sasuke's right instead of his left. He just shook his head on the absurdity of it all. It must be a fangirl thing.

Naruto was bored. He was right, the class was definitely boring. While their teacher Umino Iruka was droning on and on in front of the class about Konoha's history, he was busy talking to Kyuubi, brainstorming about some ideas he has regarding his application for his Elemental Orbs and Chakra Manipulation.

History class ended and the class was instructed to leave the room and out to the training field for Taijutsu and throwing exercise. Following the old man's advice, Naruto downplayed his skills pretending that he didn't know anything about Taijutsu and throwing weapons.

Mizuki, who was in charge of the physical aspects of the Academy was giving him glares all throughout the class. He saw the hate in his eyes but he chose to ignore it by playing the oblivious card.

During the spars, he noticed that Mizuki was instructing and correcting his opponent but he didn't bother to correct Naruto when he made a mistake on purpose. He guessed that he was still the 'demon' in Mizuki's eyes. Same thing also happened in kunai and shuriken throwing. He was given faulty kunais and shuriken that would make it harder for him to penetrate the targets. Deciding not to make a fool of himself, he downplayed his skills but not too much. At best, the skills he shown were average to avoid arousing any suspicions of his true skills.

Naruto made some new friends during his lunch break. He chose one of the trees in the ground surrounding the Academy to eat his lunch in silence. He was joined by Shino first and he found him to be a relaxing presence considering that he didn't talk much. After a brief introduction, they both took their lunch in silence.

They were later joined by Choji and Shikamaru. Both were fun to be with except that the Nara was too lazy even to hold a conversation and Choji choice words were all about food. The few words that he got from Shino were about bugs. He was a bit interested about their clan's relationship with bugs so he decided to ask Shino about them which brought the kid to open his mouth…a lot. He found out that the best way to get Shino to talk was to ask him about his bugs.

* * *

><p>(TIME SKIP – Academy YEAR 2)<p>

Naruto finished his first year in the Academy and is starting with the second. He made good friends with Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino. He also got to know Ino a bit but every time Sasuke appeared, she would degenerate into a squealing fangirl that made three boys wince. He got along well with Shikamaru and spend most of their time playing Shogi which he was soundly beaten every time.

His time with Chouji proved to be the best. The impromptu Ramen Eating Contest helped them bond as close friends. The Ichiraku Ramen stand now have two best customers.

He also got to know Kiba and Akamaru. He liked the guy when he was not bragging about his skills. He got on well with Akamaru though.

He didn't get along with the Uchiha and by extension his number one fangirl, Haruno Sakura. He mused that showing his skills a bit to be on par with Sasuke was a very bad idea but he can't do anything about it now. He made it a point to not outclass Sasuke but just match him skills for skills. This made both of them Rookie of the Year and earned him a spot in Sasuke and Sakura's heart - Sasuke hated him because someone is as strong as him and Sakura hated his guts because the girl thinks that he should be inferior to her crush. Fangirls, gotta love them.

In the Academy, he and Sasuke were polar opposites. Sasuke was a brooding emo that tends to avoid everyone, even his fangirls but the latter wasn't as successful as he wanted it to be since his fangirls found his brooding attitude to be attractive. Naruto, however, was friendly to everyone. He tried his best to be friendly which was welcomed by his peers. He helped them with their schoolwork, have lunch with them, or even hang out with them after school.

To put it simply, everyone loved Sasuke because of his stature but they love Naruto because he was friendly and open.

* * *

><p>The class was in the training yard again to start their lessons on Chakra and Ninjutsu. The teachers demonstrated how hand seals worked and how chakra should be channeled properly to avoid wastage. They briefly tackled Chakra Exercises but didn't practice them much to Naruto's amusement.<p>

Mizuki and Iruka were instructing the class to perform jutsus that they were familiar with much to the Clan Heirs delight, except Shikamaru who found the whole thing to be troublesome. Naruto rolled his eyes at his friend's laziness. He watched the demonstration with keen interest.

The Clan Heirs were definitely trained in their family techniques.

Chouji demonstrated his family technique by expanding his body size and turning into a ball and rolling over the yard.

Shino released his bugs which brought a lot of screams from the girls present.

Kiba fed a pill to Akamaru that turned him into a huge red dog and transformed into a perfect replica of Kiba, complete with claws and fangs.

Hinata didn't do any ninjutsu since her clan forbade the practice except for their family Juken style. She, however, demonstrated how to channel chakra to her fingers which brought a lot of awed looks from the rest of the class.

Shikamaru trapped both Mizuki and Iruka with his shadow and made them dance around much to everyone's amusement.

Ino took control of Iruka's body with her Mind Control techniques.

Sakura performed the Henge and Bunshin perfectly considering her Chakra Control. No interest there.

It was the Uchiha, however, which brought some startled looks from the crowd, as well as the squeals of his fangirls. He moved to the middle of the field, did a few hand seals and released a large fireball that left one of the training dummies a burning stump. It wasn't impressive to Naruto but it was definitely impressive to everyone else.

He was brought out of his musings when his turn was called by Mizuki.

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto." Mizuki called out with a sneer on his face which Naruto ignored. Naruto moved to the middle of the training field and waited for instructions. "Naruto, I want you to perform some ninjutsus that you know in front of the class."

Naruto cocked his head to the side, confused by the instructions. "Mizuki-sensei. I don't know any ninjutsu." This brought a sneer to Mizuki's face and laughter from the class except Naruto's friends.

"Don't tell me that the famed son of the Yondaime doesn't know any techniques." insulted Mizuki.

"I didn't say I didn't know any techniques, I just said that I can't do any Ninjutsus." Naruto calmly explained to his teacher.

"Well, show us these _techniques_ that you know." challenged Mizuki.

Naruto just shrugged and showed no outward sign of excitement but it was quite different on the inside. He will surely love the look on their face to see what he can do.

He faced the training dummy and activated his Kamigan and the Elemental Orbs appeared. Naruto decided to play around a bit and willed the Elemental Orbs to move around his body in a protective fashion. He pointed his hand at the training dummy and mentally commanded the Lightning Orb to attack. It released a jet of crackling lightning that blew the wooden dummy to smithereens. Nodding to himself for a job well done, he kept the Kamigan activated and faced his peers. The expression on their faces was priceless.

Everyone was gaping at him in awe and wonder. They haven't seen Naruto demonstrate such ability before. His peers were awestruck with dozens of questions flashing through their heads wanting to ask the blonde. Sasuke was fuming over the impressive display thinking that such a technique should be his to make him stronger while Sakura just keeps telling Ino that Sasuke's performance was better. Mizuki was seething and Iruka was shocked at what Naruto did. He was the first to voice out the question that was on everyone's head.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT?" Iruka shouted.

Naruto calmly faced Iruka and explained. "That was my family bloodline Iruka-sensei." He pointed at his eyes. "This is the Kamigan, the Namikaze-Uzumaki doujutsu and these floating orbs are called Elemental Orbs. They appear when my Kamigan is activated. It gives me complete control over the elements. I can will them to attack and defend without hand seals. That is the reason why I told you I can't do Ninjutsu. I don't need hand seals for my techniques to work. All I need to do is to control the elements and let it do what I want."

Everyone was floored. They haven't seen such an impressive display in their entire life. If what Naruto said was true then this is practically the most powerful bloodline in Konoha dwarfing that of the Sharingan and Byakugan

"But…but…there was no record of the Yondaime having such bloodline." Iruka stuttered.

Naruto nodded. "Actually, my Kamigan is a combination of both my parent's genes. You see, my mother Uzumaki Kushina possess a bloodline that allows her to manipulate chakra. It seems that the addition of my father's genes triggered an evolution that gave me my Kamigan." He lied. He didn't have to tell them that Kyuubi was the reason why he has this ability. He also kept his skill on Chakra Manipulation hidden since this would serve as his trump card if worst comes to worst.

"That is amazing Naruto. But can it do anything else?" asked Iruka.

Naruto nodded again. "Yes. Consciously, I can control my Elemental Orbs to attack and defend. But on a subconscious level, they can automatically protect me if I was attacked." He closed his eyes and placed his hands in his pockets. "Why don't you attack me? I won't move from this spot." He challenged everyone.

Iruka gave him an incredulous look at his suggestion. "Are you sure Naruto?"

"Sure Iruka-sensei. Go ahead." Eyes still closed and in a relaxed stance.

Mizuka, and surprisingly Sasuke, didn't waste any time. They threw a barrage of shurikens and kunais at Naruto without any remorse. Both were standing on opposite sides of Naruto effectively trapping him in a pincer attack with no way out. Iruka wasn't able to stop them in time. But what they saw shocked them more.

The Elemental Orbs sensed the attacks and stopped in their tracks. The Wind Orb released a strong gust of wind that knocked the kunais Mizuki threw off course and hit the shocked teacher head on that knocked him off his feet.

Sasuke's shuriken barrage was stopped in its tracks by a wall water. Both saw that range attacks were useless so both rushed towards Naruto aiming to bring him down using plain Taijutsu.

The Fire Orb rose on top of Naruto's head and released a stream of fire that protected its master and effectively halting the advance of the two. Naruto's eyes was still closed and relaxed in the middle of the field. Everyone's jaw dropped at the amazing display.

Wanting to end this charade, Naruto instructed the Wind Orb to release a powerful gust of wind around him that knocked both Sasuke and Mizuki back.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at a gaping Iruka. "Was that enough of a demonstration sensei?" asked Naruto calmly, inwardly amused over everyone reaction to his skills. Kyuubi was laughing his heads off inside his mind. Iruka didn't say anything and just nodded goofily. Naruto gave him a smile and left the training field towards his peers. A mad Sakura immediately accosted him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO NARUTO-BAKA? HOW DARE YOU ATTACK SASUKE-KUN!" shouted Sakura.

Naruto was about to give her a calm reply but he was beaten to the punch by the lazy Shikamaru. "Shut up you troublesome girl. Naruto didn't attack your _beloved_ Sasuke. If you noticed, they attacked him first without any provocation. Naruto was just standing there and defended himself. Troublesome girl."

Sakura was about to rant at Shikamaru for interfering but was cut off by Iruka. "Shikamaru is right Sakura. It was a demonstration so there was no foul play."

"But..but…" stammered Sakura.

"ENOUGH. Naruto didn't attack Sasuke so that's enough out of you." With that, Iruka shooed everyone back to the classroom to continue their lessons for the day. Naruto was pleased with the results.


	9. Chapter 9 Graduation Test

**Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine so there.**

_**Here is another chapter of Naruto: God's Eyes. Also, calling the attention of talented artists among my readers. Can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE draw something for my story. ^_^**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Graduation Test<strong>

Naruto survived the 3 years of his stay in the Academy, he is now 12 years old as with the rest of his peers. He didn't learn much in Shinobi school but he was able to improve a bit on his spare time in self-study.

For the 3 years he attended the Academy, Naruto focused more on Physical Training and Chakra Control. Even after years of hard work, he is still having problems with his Chakra Manipulation. He did, however, master his Chakra Blade for his Kenjutsu, as well as his Chakra Claws for his Fox Fist Style. His weights are now at 250-pounds and Kyuubi advised him to maintain said weights for 5 months. It seems that he is nearing his puberty so he needs to maintain the weights to avoid hindering potential growth spurts.

Naruto also spent his free time from the Academy getting to know his summons. He found out that his summons have their own specialty.

The Tigers were masters of wind and various tigers in the clan were perfect for attacking large groups.

Phoenix Clan were masters of fire and make perfect messengers since most of them knew how to teleport using fire as a medium. Also, Naruto found flying to be an interesting experience and spent a lot of time flying with medium-sized summons.

The Dragon Clan was a master of water and lightning. Their mastery over water makes them perfect for defensive strategies. Their lightning is mainly used for attacks. They can also fly but Naruto was nervous when flying with the Dragon Clan. He doesn't know why but flight without wings made him nervous.

He also learned that the Legendary Summons were clan-specific when it was first bestowed to the Elemental Nations. The Dragon Summoning Contract was given to the Uzumaki Clan during its founding.

The Phoenix Clan was a Konoha-based contract and was first given to the Uchiha clan. Their affiliation with the Phoenix Clan integrated the Fire Element to their genes which made them a prodigy of the element.

Naruto asked Suzaku why the Uchiha's no longer held the contract. The Boss Summon explained that she cancelled her pact with the clan because they deviated from her teachings. They got too power hungry for her taste. She didn't know how Kushina got the contract of the Phoenix Clan since she was sure that she took it away from Konoha and hid it from Elemental Nations until a worthy summoner is found.

The Tiger Clan, with its mastery of Wind was given to the Fuma Clan in Grass Country. Byakko didn't know the details but the contract was lost when the clan suffered from invasion and clan wars. He also didn't know how Kushina found the contract.

However, they theorized that Kushina was able to find the contracts with Kami's interference because the Legendary Summons was under her jurisdiction since they were her guardians.

The other three also mentioned that Genbu's contract was lost as well. Genbu was the guardian of earth but no clan was able to summon him so far and no word of the contract was ever heard among the Elemental Nations.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the graduation exam and Naruto wanted to get the day over and done with. He was sure that he could pass the tests with flying colors. He was tied with Sasuke for the Rookie of the Year though he could easily defeat him but his promise to the old man to downsize his skills kept the urge to do so at bay.<p>

The door to their classroom opened and both Iruka and Mizuki entered the room carrying a bunch of papers with them. Iruka shouted over the noise before everyone calmed down. He coughed for a bit to get the air back to his lungs before addressing the students.

"I am proud with all of you for getting to this stage of your Shinobi training. Today is the Graduation Exam consisting of 3 parts. First is the written exam…" this got a groan from everyone, especially from Naruto who hated written tests. "…Second is the Taijutsu challenge where you will be having a full-out spar. The pairs will be randomly selected by Mizuki. Last but not the least is the Ninjutsu exam. You will be asked to perform three of the basic Academy techniques, namely the _Bunshin, Kawarimi, _and _Henge. _Additional credits will be given to those who can perform Elemental Ninjutsus. Any questions?" Iruka looked around to see if his students had any questions. Seeing none, he instructed the students to stay in their seats while Mizuki handed out the written test.

The written part of the Graduation exam took an hour and Naruto was confident that he aced it. They were all brought out to the training group for the Taijutsu portion of the exam.

Mizuki checked their attendance before announcing the pairs for the spars.

The first match was Kiba and some random student. The match was quickly finished when Kiba used his above average speed to land a strong punch that knocked out his opponent.

Shino used one of his bugs to drain his opponent's chakra while wearing him out with some basic attacks. Obviously he won.

Hinata easily won her match with a well-placed Juken strike that incapacitated her opponent. Same happened with Ino except that she defeated her opponent with a barrage of punches and kicks. Naruto was impressed with her tenacity.

Sakura was the one that surprised him the most. It seems that the pink-haired girl was hiding a few tricks up her sleeves without her knowing about it. Her near-perfect Chakra Control allowed her to unconsciously channel some chakra to her punches which was strong enough to blow her opponent away.

Chouji sparred a bit with his opponent but eventually scared his partner out of the ring when he turned into a large rolling mass of destruction.

Shikamaru also defeated his opponent using the Shadow Neck Bind of his clan and forced him opponent to forfeit. It wasn't really a straight Taijutsu match. It seems that Shika was too lazy to even fight with his opponent so he resorted to his clan jutsu to end the fight in record-breaking time.

Naruto was getting bored of the various matches when his name and Sasuke was called and instructed them to get into position. Naruto quirked his eyebrow at this since most of the Clan Heirs was paired off with non-clan students. It seems that Mizuki wanted Sasuke to beat him. This was too good to pass up.

Naruto calmly walked into the ring in the middle of the training field as Sasuke arrogantly strutted over to the opposite side. Naruto looked bored over the whole thing while Sasuke was grinning like a maniac. Mizuki called the match to start.

"I will show you that you're inferior to me, dobe" Sasuke declared which caused the fangirls to squeal and look at him with hearts in their eyes. The boys just rolled their eyes at his arrogance.

"Whatever, Uchiha-san." said Naruto, yawning a bit showing everyone that he was bored. Sasuke seethed seeing that Naruto wasn't taking him seriously.

Sasuke went into an Uchiha Taijutsu style, the Interceptor. Naruto recognized this from his mother's scroll. The Interceptor style was created for the sole purpose of complimenting the powers of the Sharingan. The style itself was used as a defensive stance while the Sharingan copies and identify the style of the opponent. Quick attacks are then used to get under the opponent's guard to land a decisive blow. This would have been an effective strategy but the lack of Sharingan made it an almost useless action.

Naruto grinned at this and went into his Fox Fist Style that confused everyone since he didn't show this type of Taijutsu style before.

Seeing Naruto's unorthodox battle stance, Sasuke smirked and dashed towards Naruto at Chunnin level speed. He released a punch that Naruto easily swept aside with a flick of his wrist. Sasuke then jumped and spun in mid-air to drop an axe kick on Naruto's head. Naruto crossed his arms above his head to block the attack but Sasuke use his momentum to twist around and aimed a straight punch to Naruto's stomach.

Naruto saw the feint and quickly dashed back to avoid the blow and quickly lashed out with a side kick that hit Sasuke in the stomach that sent him sprawling to the ground.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and attacked again with a barrage of punches and kicks which either Naruto blocked or swept aside. Naruto saw that Sasuke was getting sloppy with his attacks so he initiated an upward swipe of his clawed hands which Sasuke barely avoided by tilting his head up so he didn't see Naruto's follow up punch that hit him on the stomach where he doubled over from the pain.

Sasuke was seething as he dashed back to gain some distance from Naruto. He was angry that the dobe was using an unknown style that easily countered and outmatched his clan's style. This didn't bode well with the dark-haired teen. Realizing that Taijutsu was out of the question, he blurred through a set of hand seals that ended in a Tiger Seal. He took a deep breath and released a large fireball careening towards his opponent.

**Fire Style: Grand Fireball**

Naruto was shocked that Sasuke was resorting to Ninjutsu instead of a straight Taijutsu match. Seeing the large fireball careening towards him, he used _Shunshin_ quickly to get away from the fiery projectile. He appeared a few feet in Sasuke right and got back into his fighting stance.

Sasuke saw that Naruto was able to escape form his attack and went through another set of hand seals.

**Fire Style: Phoenix Flower **

He blew out a bunch of small fireballs at the blonde at amazing speed. Naruto saw the incoming attack and realized that he cannot avoid the attack. If he did then his fellow students behind him will surely take the brunt of the attack. He activated his Kamigan and created a wall of water to block the attack, effectively extinguishing all the fireballs that hit it. When all the fireballs disappeared, Naruto released his hold of his Water Orb and used the Wind Orb to release a jet of compressed air that blew Sasuke off the ring.

Naruto decided to end the match before someone gets killed by the rampaging boy. He willed his Lightning Orb to release a low voltage lightning attack that electrocuted Sasuke that made him pass out. Iruka called a match a win for Naruto.

Iruka told everyone to go back inside the classroom while he instructed Mizuki to bring Sasuke to the infirmary to get checked out. He called for an hour break since they can't proceed with the rest of the exams with one of their students out of commission.

* * *

><p>Iruka was seething while waiting for Sasuke to come back from the infirmary. There was nothing wrong with his dark-haired student except for a slight shock that caused his body to shut down. A simple medical jutsu was enough to wake him up but some of the doctors treated him like a martyr and showered him with enough medical jutsu to even replenish his Chakra reserves.<p>

Iruka was happy that Naruto took decisive action after that second attack. He saw that the fireballs that Sasuke released would have harmed some students if Naruto decided to evade. To protect his classmates, his blonde students created a defense out of water to extinguish the fireball and ended the match before it could escalate.

He took a deep breath to calm him down and called for the class to settle down so they can finish the rest of the exams.

* * *

><p>After the debacle in the training field, Naruto was waiting for his turn to be called to test his 3 basic Academy jutsus. The effect of his brief stint with Sasuke caused some reactions that confused the blonde.<p>

The boys were looking at him in awe with a slight fear. After all, he was able to bring Sasuke down with a single jutsu and not get hit by the barrage of lethal fire techniques hitting his way.

Some of the girls, especially those that were almost hit by Sasuke's fireballs were giving Naruto appreciative and thankful looks. The diehard Sasuke Fan girls were giving him an evil glare.

Iruka was looking at him with pride while Mizuki was giving him a hate-filled glare. Mizuki's idea to have Sasuke beat him to a bloody pulp backfired on him. The worst part is he can't disqualify the boy for the use of a non-academy Taijutsu style since Sasuke was using his clan's style as well. Same goes for the jutsus that was supposed to be barred from that portion of the exam.

Iruka called everyone to silence when Sasuke entered the classroom. It seems that his defeat in the hands of Naruto was properly healed, except for his bruised ego. He gave Naruto a hate-filled glare which the blonde calmly returned. Iruka barked a command for him to go back to his seat so they can get started with the next part of the exam.

"Ok everyone. Congratulations on those who passed the exam so far. Before we proceed with the Ninjutsu part of the exam, I will be releasing the scores for the written test." He took a sheaf of paper from the pile on his table and read from it. "Let me see, for the written exam, the highest score goes to Uchiha Sasuke…" this made Sasuke give everyone a smug look and caused his fanclub to emit a loud squeal. "…and Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto who both got a perfect score on the written portion of the exam." Sasuke's smug look turned into a glare. "Followed by Aburame Shino and then by Shikamaru Nara. Congratulations. Any questions?" asked Iruka.

"Sensei. Naruto-baka must have cheated because it is impossible for him to be tied with Sasuke-kun." screeched Sakura which caused most of the boys to wince.

"Are you accusing me, a Chunnin, of not being able to spot my students cheating Sakura?" asked Iruka while giving her a long look.

"Uhhhh no sensei but it is impossible. He must have cheated somehow without you finding out about it." persisted Sakura.

"Well you're wrong Sakura. One, it is impossible to cheat because we are closely monitoring each and every one of the students. Two, Naruto's record has been consistent for the past 3 years so him cheating right now would be stupid. If there aren't any more questions then let me continue…" This time, he gave Sakura a glare which effectively cut off any other complaints she might have.

"For the Taijutsu portion of the exam, everyone who won passed the test. However, me and Mizuki deducted points from both Nara Shikamaru and Uchiha Sasuke for the blatant use of Ninjutsu when it was only a Taijutsu-only exam." This announcement brought a loud screech from the Uchiha Fan Club but was easily shot down by Iruka. "Nara used his family jutsu to disable the opponent and forced him to forfeit which is against the rules but we gave him leeway on this since it is a sound strategy. However, Sasuke's deduction was caused for the blatant disregard of the rules by using an attack-based jutsu."

"But sensei, Naruto also used his freakish technique during the match." complained Sakura.

"True he did. I don't know if you noticed but Sasuke's fireballs were in direct collision with some of the students which might have killed them if Naruto didn't act with his technique. I saw this as a decisive action on his part so I didn't mark him down with deductions."

"That's so unfair." wailed Sakura.

"No its not! So you think that Sasuke should get away in hurting his peers? I think not. Now SHUT UP and let me continue. Now, the next part of the exam is the Ninjutsu portion. You will be called one-by-one to demonstrate the 3 basic Academy jutsus, namely the _Henge, Kawarimi, _and _Bunshin."_

With that, he called the names and each performed the techniques as requested. Some passed while some failed. Naruto noticed that the Clan Heirs all passed. Sasuke easily passed and gave everyone a smug look even if they performed as well as he did.

When Naruto's name was called, he walked to the front of the classroom and waited for the signal to proceed.

"Ok Naruto, I want you first to perform a _Bunshin_." instructed Iruka.

"Uhhh Iruka-sensei, does it have to be the normal _Bunshin_ or can I perform other versions of it?" asked Naruto. One of the reasons why he learned the Shadow Clone was because of his huge Chakra reserves where it is impossible for him to create the normal illusionary_ Bunshin_.

Iruka was shocked at the question. Naruto knew another _Bunshin_? This he gotta see. "Yes. As long as it is a _Bunshin_ then it is acceptable."

Naruto didn't waste any time and performed the Kage Bushin without any hand seals. Two perfect clones of Naruto appeared beside him. All three were giving Iruka a huge grin.

"V-very good Naruto. Now I want you to perform the _Henge _by turning into the Hokage."

A puff of smoke later, Naruto looked exactly like the Third Hokage complete with pipe and smoke. He gave Iruka a cheeky smile which looked out of place from the Hokage's face before poofing back into his original form.

"Perfect as always Naruto. Now I want you to substitute yourself with the log in the corner." Naruto nodded and did as instructed flawlessly. Iruka nodded his pride at the performance. "Congratulations Naruto, you have graduated in flying colors. Here is your Hitai-ate to commemorate your rank as a Genin of Konoha." He passed Naruto his Hitai-ate which Naruto gladly took and tied it to his left bicep. He bowed to Iruka and went back to his seat, missing the heated looks being shot at him by Sasuke and the rest of his fan club.

"I would like to congratulate everyone who graduated and received their Hitai-ate. Those who passed are required to return here tomorrow morning for their Team Assignments. Dismissed."

Naruto was glad that the day was over. He bid everyone goodbye and promptly disappeared in a burst of flame that shocked everyone in the room.


	10. Chapter 10 Gifts and Traitors

**Disclaimer: Its a bit tiring to repeat the same thing over and over again but I guess I have to stick with it. So without further adieu, I would like to inform everyone that I dont OWN Naruto. **

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><p><strong>My reactionsexplanations to the reviews I've gotten from my readers:**

**To ddcj1990 : **Regarding your request to turn this into a Harem fic, I would like to apologize that this won't be my priority for now. Let's face it, they are just too young for that. But soon. Maybe when I reach the shippuden arc? hehehhe

**To DragonBard: **In some anyway, yeah Genbu is associated with water but not my fic. Hey it's a free world so I'll improvise a bit. Besides, if you research a little bit on various mythologies around the globe, turtles/tortoises are said to hold world on its shell. So since we all are bound to the earth, I made it a point on my end to use Genbu as an earth guardian. Also, I haven't considered giving Genbu to Naruto yet but thanks for your input regarding Gai having the tortoise scroll. Oh, one more thing, regarding the Sakura/Ino rivalry towards their 'obvious' crush on Sasuke. This is an AU (Alternate Universe) of Naruto. If you checked my summary, I indicated there AU with some of Canon. This is just my take on how Naruto should be portrayed. Anyway, keep the comments coming, I find it a big help to fine-tune this fic.

Anyway, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Gifts and Traitors<strong>

Naruto appeared in his training yard in a pillar of flame. It was one of his unique _Shunshin _(High-Speed Teleportation) signatures. He found out that his limitless control over the elements automatically incorporated elemental teleportation to the mix. All he needed was to decide which element to use and voila.

He didn't stay long in the Academy after the graduation exam since today is a big day for him. Today was the day that he will be receiving his gifts from his summons. He didn't regret denying their offers of giving him techniques and training; in fact, he agreed that no human should ever be given such power. It would either corrupt him, which he doubted, or people will be hunting him down just to steal such power for their own. Besides, he already have the most powerful bijuu in his gut so, no, he doesn't need any more thank you very much.

While he was walking to the center of the training yard, he was contemplating on the gifts he will be receiving from the 3 Legendary Summons. He knew that it would be battle related since they were hinting that he would definitely need them for the trials in the future. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and took a deep calming breath to prepare himself to meet the bosses.

He arrived at the training ground and closed his eyes to help him relax. He was giddy over the thought of receiving powerful gifts from the Legendary creatures so he needed to calm himself down before he makes a mess of things. He gathered the required chakra to summon the 3 creatures and channeled them into the tattoos on his right arm. A large amount of smoke later, Seiryuu, Suzaku, and Byakko stood in front of him in all their glory. He noticed that their individual stances were of great formality so he chose this time to forego his usual childish greeting and give them the respect they were due. He bowed low.

"Seiryuu-sama, Suzaku-sama, Byakko-sama. As requested, I have summoned you as you requested 3 years ago." said Naruto formally.

"**Indeed young one. I see that you have grown strong and stayed true to your goals and ways. It is time for you to receive our gifts." **said Seiryuu.

"**Admirable Naruto-kun. I don't sense any greed from you despite the fact you will be receiving gifts from us. I admire your pure heart. It will serve you well." **declared a proud Suzaku.

"**Well what do you know? The brat did graduate from the Academy and has become a Shinobi of the Leaf. I guess you won the bet this time eh Seiryuu? So Naruto, are you ready to receive our gifts?" **asked Byakko.

Unable to resist his hidden child any longer, he gave Byakko a cheeky grin that he knew would irritate the white bag of fur. "Hai furball-sama! Ready and waiting." Byakko growled.

"**Cheeky brat. I'll go first. So brat, hold out your hand." **

Naruto did as instructed and a white-sheated odachi appeared on the palm of his hand. He gasped at the beauty of the sword he was holding. The entire sword was pure white. The _Tsuka_ itself was a work of art. It sported a white cloth grip instead of the usual fish-skin common in most katana-type weapons. The pommel was designed to look like a roaring tiger, definitely a likeness of Byakko. The _Tsuba_ was made of gold.

He grasped the sheath and gripped the handle firmly then slowly pulled the blade out. The blade was pure white made from a form of metal that he has never seen before. Heck, he didn't think that there were even metals with the color white so this was definitely unique. Overall, the odachi was taller than him and it was beautiful.

Byakko interrupted his close inspection of the blade. **"I see that you liked my gift. It is called Kazehime (Wind Princess). It is the prized blade of the Tiger Clan and now it belongs to you. Its abilities would serve you well in battle."**

"What abilities?" asked Naruto, eyes still not leaving the beautiful blade.

"**As you may have noticed, the blade itself is made of metal not available in this world. It is indestructible and can match any blow without fear of breaking. The metal is conductive so you can easily channel your chakra through it to strengthen your strikes. However, Kazehime's abilities do not lie on its physical attributes but the blessings I have bestowed upon it. The blade itself is made from my own fang and has the ability to control Wind much like your bloodline ability. Your control over it is similar to that of how you manipulate your Elemental Orbs. The sword is already attuned to you so you might notice that despite its size, you were able to hold it comfortably and I'm sure that you can handle it like a seasoned swordsman."** explained Byakko.

"It is a priceless gift Byakko-sama. I will cherish it always and wield it with honor." declared Naruto in a determined and awed voice.

"**I know you will brat. Now I want you to sheath the sword and hold it in your right hand then channel chakra to my tattoo."** Naruto did as instructed and was surprised when the sword disappeared in a puff of smoke. He looked at Byakko for answers.

**"Don't worry kid. The sword is now in your summoning tattoo. I know it is too big for you to lug around all the time so storing it for safekeeping in your tattoo makes it possible to bring it around with you without hindering your movement. To summon the sword, all you have to do is think about the sword when you channel chakra to your tattoo. You can summon it sheathed or unsheathed. All you have to do is to think about it."**

Naruto was surprised by the revelation and chose to practice with this new ability. He channeled chakra to the Tiger Tattoo while thinking of the unsheathed odachi and it appeared on his grip with ease. This will definitely be an edge in a battle. He was giddy over the prospect of using his new weapon. Naruto returned the odachi back to the tattoo and looked at the other summons in child-like excitement.

"**My turn. I have already given you my gift Naruto-kun but it is currently in its unlocked state. When I gave you my tattoo, I took the liberty of changing your Kamigan and giving it another ability. You already know that I was the summon of the Uchiha clan correct?"** Naruto nodded at this. **"Good. Now I am familiar with how the Sharingan works. I can't hope to copy its exact ability and give it to you but I gave you the next best thing. I have improved your Kamigan so you will be able to 'see' better in a sense. The Sharingan involved a much-improved eyesight that allows them to see everything in slow motion. This will aid you much in your battles. Just be warned, even if you see your opponent doesn't mean that you can match them. You still need to train your body to coincide with your eye's new ability." **explained Suzaku.

Naruto nodded. The new ability of his Kamigan is a welcome ability to have. He vowed to train twice as hard to make the most out of this gift.

"**Now for me child. I would have offered you the position as a Dragon Sage and all the powers and benefits that it entails but you chose another path that was also welcome so I will give you a gift instead. Like Suzaku, I have added another ability to the Tattoo I gave you that I just unlocked. I gave you a minor version of the Dragon Skin that is common in my clan. Your skin now is harder and can withstand blows that would easily wound you. Be warned that this does not make you invincible. It is a minor gift compared to what the Dragons have but it will add to your defense just in case if some of the attacks manage to enter your guard." **said Seiryuu. Naruto nodded and thanked him for the warning.

"**Well that's it for now. See you later brat." **said Byakko in a way of parting and all three Boss Summmons returned to the summon realm in a large puff of smoke.

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><p>(HOKAGE TOWER – OFFICE)<p>

Hiruzen Sarutobi was having a meeting with the Jounins who volunteered to take in teams from this year's batch from the Academy. Those in attendance were considered as Elites in the field, each having their own set of skills to impart on the next generation and thus adding to the overall strength of Konoha's military.

There were some of the Jounins that stood out from the rest, namely Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, and Kurenai Yuuhi.

Hatake Kakashi was a former ANBU captain and well-known throughout the Elemental Nations as _Sharingan no Kakashi._ His left Sharingan eye was given to him by his dead teammate Obito. Despite the fact that he doesn't have any Uchiha blood in his veins, he was able to utilize the doujustu to its full potential thus giving him the nickname Copy Ninja Kakashi as it was rumored that he copied over a thousand jutsu to add to his already impressive arsenal.

Sarutobi Asuma, his own son, was a member of the Daimyo's Guard – the 12 Fire Guardians. He retired from the position and accepted the position of Jounin. His skill with his trench knives was of no equal and is the only Wind User in Fire Country.

Finally, Kurenai Yuuhi, Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress was adept in the Illusionary Arts. Despite her lack of skills in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, her accomplishments and capabilities in Genjutsu allowed her to be promoted to Jounin and have raked in various accomplishments while in the field.

The Hokage was proud to say the least. He believed that these Jounins will ensure the future of Konahagakure no Sato by making the current generation the strongest in the nation.

"Thank you all for coming. We have much to discuss." said the Hokage, effectively catching everyone's attention. "I think you all know why I have called you here?" everyone nodded. "Good, I will now accept recommendations for this year's batch of Genin teams that will be under your wing. Kakashi, why don't you go first?"

Kakashi looked up from the orange book that he was reading and nodded. He pocketed it but not before seeing the glare from Kurenai. "Hokage-sama. I would like to ask your permission to place Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto on my team." declared Kakashi in a lazy voice.

The Hokage gave him a long look. "What is your reason for creating this team Kakashi. From the overall stats, this would make your team a powerhouse. I don't think that hogging all three of the brightest in this year's Academy would be fair to the rest of the Jounin senseis."

"I believe Hokage-sama that this team will be a great frontline team in the future. Each of their abilities grants plenty of potential not seen since the Sannin under your tutelage."

"Explain." demanded the Hokage. Kakashi nodded.

"Let's start first with Uchiha Sasuke that is said to be the prodigy among this year's batch. I believe that I am the only one who can teach him once he awakened his Sharingan. This will require a lot of work since according to his file, his mentality is a bit skewed after the Uchiha Massacre. If I am able to change his views then he will become a great asset to the village." Everyone nodded at this. They knew about the complete change that gripped Sasuke after his clan was murdered in front of his eyes. They cannot refute Kakashi's claims in teaching the boy. Seeing their looks, Kakashi continued.

"Next is Haruno Sakura. According to her Academy file, she has a great mind that would help her well as a Kunoichi of Konoha. Her excellent Chakra Control make her a candidate for either a Genjutsu or as a Medic-nin. However, what stood out is her unconscious ability to channel chakra to her attacks, similar to that of Tsunade of the Sannin. The only drawback to this is her fangirlish tendency." Everyone sweatdropped at this. Those in the room can never deny that Sakura was a die hard Sasuke fan. "Anyway, I believe I can knock some sense into her and make her into one of Konoha's finest."

"Last, but certainly not the least is one Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. His skills is on par with Sasuke but we all know for a fact that he was downplaying his skills upon your request to avoid alerting his enemies. With his bloodline ability and early training, he will be a fine addition to the powerhouse team that I'm planning to create. Also, I was hoping that his calm and mature attitude would become an influence to both his teammates." explained Kakashi.

The Hokage pondered the idea of such a team and he can't deny that Kakashi's assessment and prediction is quite possible. True, the imbalance caused by Sasuke's superior attitude and Sakura fan-girlish tendency requires a lot of work but he was confident that Kakashi can handle it. He finally nodded and took a few notes on the sheet of paper in front of him. "I will accept your request Kakashi as long as no one disagrees?" He looked around and saw that the rest of the Jounins just shook their heads. "Good. Team 7 will now be under Hatake Kakashi to be trained as frontliners."

This time it was Asuma who spoke. "I would like to request the current Ino-Shika-Cho trio to be placed under my leadership. I am planning to turn them into a Capture and Information Gathering Unit."

"Your reasons?" asked Sarutobi.

"Simple really. Out of all the Jounins here, I have the most experience with the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho teamwork and I'm confident that I can train them well with their individual abilities. The Nara's shadow techniques are useful in capturing his opponents without resorting to lengthy battles. The Akimichi would be useful as a support. The Yamanaka girl is talented in gathering information because of their clan's Mind Invasion techniques." explained Asuma.

The Hokage nodded. "Anyone disagree?" everyone shook their heads in negative. "Asuma, you will get Team 10 with the current Ino-Shika-Cho trio as your Genins. Kurenai?"

"I would request for the formation of a Tracker and Hunter Team composed of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba. Each have their own individual skills that can easily be an asset to the tracking and hunting team that im planning to form." declared Kurenai in her strong, yet melodious voice.

The Hokage immediately accepted her proposal since he was also thinking along the same line as hers. "Agreed. You will take command of this team and train them well to be expert trackers. You now have Team 8 composed of Aburame, Hyuuga, and Inuzuka." Kurenai nodded, happy with the team she got.

"I think that takes care of everything. Anything else? No? Then you're all dismissed. Please report to the Academy at 9AM tomorrow to meet your Genin Teams."

"Hai Hokage-sama." All Jounins in the room shouted then left the room.

The Hokage opened one of his drawers and took out his trusty pipe, lit it up, and took a long puff. "Things are going to start getting interesting soon, especially with you around Naruto-kun."

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><p>(NAMIKAZE-UZUMAKI COMPOUND)<p>

Naruto was in the training yard drenched in sweat. After the Boss Summons left, he immediately practiced his new weapon, Kazehime, by running it through with his mother's Kenjutsu style. He found out that the weapon fit him perfectly – both weight and size sits well with the basic katas that he practiced before with his Chakra Blade. Since he already practiced mid-range attacks using a lengthened Chakra Blade, integrating the odachi into his stance was not a big problem.

As he danced from one katas to the next, he channeled chakra into the odachi and was amazed when the blade released a small, yet visible greenish aura that gave evidence to the potent Wind Chakra that coated it. He went into a stance by gripping the odachi in both hands, dragging the blade by his side as he rushed to one of the training dummies in the field. With a swift upward slash, he was able to cleanly cut the dummy in half – from lower hip to shoulder. He decided that he did enough practice for the day so he returned Kazehime back into his tattoo then headed straight to his house to freshen up and take up his studies again in the library.

It was 4 hours later that he was brought out of his reading when the alarm seal warned him of someone outside the gates. He quickly closed the scroll and teleported outside to see who his guest was. He opened the gate and saw one of the Hokage's personal ANBU waiting for him.

"What can I do for you ANBU-san?" greeted Naruto.

"Namikaze-sama. The Hokage asked for your presence in his office immediately. There is an emergency." said the ANBU.

Naruto nodded walked out of the gate and placed his hands in one of the seals on the walls and channeled a little bit of chakra. The door slid close and a metallic click signified that the compound is safe and locked. He looked at the waiting ANBU then nodded. They teleported directly to the Hokage's office to get there faster.

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><p>(HOKAGE TOWER – HOKAGE OFFICE)<p>

Naruto appeared in front of the Hokage in a pillar of flames. He saw the old man reading a report behind his desk with a large frown on his face.

"What's wrong jiji?" asked Naruto.

"Ah Naruto-kun. I'm sorry for calling you here on such short notice but we have an emergency on our hands that needs to be addressed." said the Hokage in a serious voice. This somewhat alarmed Naruto to the potential disasters that could happen.

"So what's the problem?" Naruto asked again.

"Your father's possession, the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing that holds the secrets of Konoha Forbidden Techniques was stolen from this office. We don't have the identity of the thief as of yet but according to the seals in the room, the intruder was able to disarm the protection that surrounded it. I was able to find out immediately that it was stolen when one of my hidden personal alarms warned me that someone entered my office without me knowing about it." explained the Hokage.

Naruto tensed at the information. "Then we need to get it back. Have the ANBU been told yet?"

"Yes, I already dispatched the ANBU two hours ago but so far they haven't found any trace of our thief. I was thinking maybe you can help with the search with one of your _abilities_."

"Don't worry jiji. I'll help you out." declared Naruto. He channeled a little bit of chakra to his Tiger tattoo to summon his personal friend. In a puff of smoke, a large white tiger appeared beside Naruto that scared the hidden ANBU in the shadows. The tiger was huge by normal standards. Its sharp claws and hangs were an intimidating sight and sharing a room with one definitely made them stand on edge.

"Sorry for calling you at this time of the night Kagetora but we have a situation on our hands."

"**No need to worry Naruto-sama. I'm happy of service anytime and anywhere. What seems to be the problem?"** queried the now named tiger summon.

"The Forbidden Scroll of Sealing was stolen from this very office a few hours ago. Can you sniff around to get the scent of the intruder so we can follow it?" asked Naruto.

"**Done Naruto-sama."** growled the Tiger. He walked all around the room and took a few sniffs here and there. The hidden ANBUs tensed a bit when the tiger got too close to them then relaxed when it moved on. This went on for a few more minutes before the tiger looked at Naruto. **"Naruto-sama. I have caught the scent. You were right, the scent is almost 2-hours old and it seems to be going into the direction of the forest outside of Konoha walls."** informed Kagetora. Naruto nodded then he looked to the Hokage.

"I'm going to follow the intruder jiji. Are you coming along?" asked Naruto, walking to the window preparing to depart.

"No, but I'll send two of my ANBUs to follow you."

Naruto nodded then jumped out the window following the tiger who already went ahead of him. The chase was on.

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><p>(OUTSIDE KONOHA – FOREST)<p>

It didn't take long for Naruto and Kagetora to find the thief. They stopped in one of branches of the tree overlooking a clearing where a small run-down shack was located. On the clearing was a boy that he recognized as one of his classmates who failed the exam clutching the scroll to his chest and Mizuki holding a kunai slowly advancing on him.

Not wasting any time, Naruto created a kunai out of chakra and threw it towards Mizuki who sensed the sudden chakra spike and was able to avoid the deadly projectile.

Mizuki looked at the direction where the kunai came from and shouted. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

Deciding to show himself to the traitor, Naruto and his tiger summon jumped down from the branch they were perched on and landed on the clearing a few feet away from Mizuki and the shivering boy.

"Mizuki-sensei, fancy meeting you here at this time of night. Taking a stroll?" asked Naruto casually.

Mizuki feigned innocence and schooled his feature to one of surprise but Naruto could see the hate and fear behind his façade. "Namikaze-sama. You're just in time. I was about to apprehend the thief that stole the Forbidden Scroll." He declared while pointing his kunai at the shivering ex-student.

Naruto pretended to be shocked at his declaration and decided to continue with the drama. "Really? Good work Mizuki-sensei. Let me just take the scroll and I'll personally return it to the Hokage."

Mizuki was sweating now. It seems that his fake declaration backfired. He tried to salvage the situation. "Uhhh no need to bother yourself Namikaze-sama. I don't want you to get your hands dirty over such a minor thing. I'll take care of the scroll's return." Naruto pondered this for a moment while Mizuki continued to sweat.

"Sure thing Mizuki-sensei. Glad to see you're on the job. Anyway, I'll be off now." Mizuki sighed in relief but Naruto's next words sent shivers down his spine. "You think I'm that stupid Mizuki-teme? You gave yourself away with your lies. The Hokage didn't tell anyone except me and his ANBU that my dad's scroll was stolen and how come you know about it. All the facts pointed at you being the mastermind of the theft." Naruto whispered in a cold voice.

Mizuki's whole demeanor changed. He sneered at the boy. "You're right. I tricked the boy to steal the scroll for me. With it, I'll be rewarded handsomely by my master and will be given power that I have dreamed off since I became a Shinobi."

"Oh? And who is this master to offer you such a deal?" asked a curious Naruto.

"Why should I tell you brat." sneered Mizuki. Without warning, the rogue ninja threw the kunai he was holding towards Naruto who was able to dodge it easily. Mizuki launched himself at Naruto and threw a punch hoping to catch the boy off guard and knock him out so he can continue on with his mission.

Naruto saw the punch easily and swerved to the right to dodge it. Taking advantage of the situation, Naruto released a kick that hit Mizuki in the gut that pushed him back. Mizuki growled and lashed out with another punch at Naruto which the boy evaded by jumping forward, flipped, and released a strong kick towards Mizuki's unprotected back before landing on the ground. The kick was strong enough to throw Mizuki forward to slam face-first into a tree.

"You can't hope to defeat me Mizuki-teme. Give up now before I have to take drastic measures." warned Naruto.

"Never! I will complete my mission and no mere Genin will stop me." shouted Mizuki. He heard a growl from beside him but was too late to react when Kagetora tackled him that sent him sprawling on the ground, with blood escaping his lips from the force of the blow. He saw that the tiger was about to pounce again so he rolled to the side to narrowly avoid the attacking beast, stood up then jumped back a few feet before going back into a battle stance.

"Stand down teme. You're outmatched. You will never get out of the village with my father's scroll. I will make sure to protect it and the village from your treachery."

Mizuki sneered at him and gave him an amused look. "Protect it? Why protect the village that hated you? Do you even know why they hate you? Why they keep glaring at you and beaten you almost to death before your inheritance was revealed to the public?"

Naruto pretended to be clueless over the whole thing in hopes to get more information out of the traitor. He adapted a confused look and looked straight at Mizuki. "Huh?" Deep inside, Kyuubi was applauding his container for such a flawless acting. Naruto just gave the fox a mental bow.

"You don't know did you? You don't know why you're hated?" pushed Mizuki.

"No I don't."

"You remember the Kyuubi that attacked Konoha 12 years ago?" asked an amused Mizuki.

"Of course, It's taught in class. The Yondaime, my father, was able to kill it thus saving the village from total destruction."

"You're wrong brat. The Yondaime didn't kill the beast. He sealed it instead. He sealed it inside a boy…YOU! YOU ARE THE KYUUBI NO KITSUNE." shouted Mizuki with a maniacal laugh. He was hoping to distract the boy with the revelation of this secret, enough so he can get away with the scroll or even maybe kill him. But what caught him off guard was a laughing Naruto with an amused looking tiger at his side. "What are you laughing at brat? You are the DEMON! If I kill you now, I WILL BE DECLARED A HERO!"

Naruto didn't say anything, he just laughed some more. He regained his composure and leveled an amused look at Mizuki. "You really are a teme, teme. I already know about the Kyuubi. And if you think I am him then you are hopeless. My father's seal was full-proof. I am its jailor not its reincarnation. Now why don't we stop this nonsense and give yourself up."

"NEVER! DIE DEMON!" Mizuki reached behind him and drew out the large Shadow Shuriken strapped on his back. He spun it a few times then threw it at Naruto with all his strength.

Naruto didn't back down. He summoned Kazehime and slashed at the incoming projectile effectively slicing it in half. He didn't waste anytime since Mizuki was still distracted by his attack. He dashed forward and got under the teme's guard and deftly slashed his right arm off his shoulder.

Mizuki screamed in pain and clutched at the bleeding wound hoping to stop the flow of blood before he bled to death. However, his scream was cut off when Naruto used the blunt side of his sword to knock him unconscious by hitting him on back of the neck.

Seeing that his work is done, Naruto flicked Kazehime to get rid of Mizuki's blood on the blade before returning it to his tattoo. Two ANBUs suddenly appeared in front of him who gave the bleeding and unconscious Mizuki a glance. "Your orders Namikaze-sama?" Naruto nodded to the ANBU acknowledging their presence.

"Take this traitor to wherever he is supposed to go. I will take care of our wayward thief over there and bring the scroll back to the Hokage." Naruto ordered. The two ANBUs nodded and quickly patched up Mizuki's bleeding stump before he bled to death then teleported him out of the clearing.

Naruto dismissed Kagetora with a thank you before walking over to the wide-eyed shivering boy who was clutching his father's scroll as if it was a lifeline.

"Relax, I won't hurt you." Naruto said softly hoping for the boy to calm down before taking him to the Hokage. "Now tell me why did you steal my father's scroll?"

Hearing his words, the boy relaxed a bit before he talked. "Mizuki-sensei told me that I can pass the exam if I steal the scroll and learn a few jutsus on it. He approached me after the exam and told me of this make-up exam for those who failed. He told me that he saw a potential in me to be a great ninja so he only offered the choice to me. He gave me some instructions on how to bypass the Hokage's security in his office and told me where to find the scroll. When I got it, I was supposed to meet him here but when he arrived, he attacked me and told me that he used me to steal the scroll. He was going to kill me and pin the blame of the theft on me." The boy shouted the last part and burst out crying.

Naruto listened to the boy's tale and felt that it was the truth. After all, why would the boy steal a scroll that he is not supposed to know about? Also, no Academy should be able to bypass the Hokage's security around the scroll without specific instructions. He nodded then clapped the boy on the back to calm him down. "Don't worry. The Hokage won't punish you...much. This is a clear case that you were tricked. Come, let's go so you can tell him everything yourself."

The boy nodded then Naruto placed his hand on his shoulder before teleporting out of the clearing towards the Hokage's office.

* * *

><p>(HOKAGE TOWER – HOKAGE OFFICE)<p>

Sarutobi saw everything that happened in the clearing and is quite proud with Naruto's growth. He is turning into a fine Shinobi of the Leaf that is fated to surpass both his mother and father in the near future. He heard Naruto's altercation with Mizuki and was pissed that the traitor didn't follow his decree of not saying anything about the Kyuubi.

He saw Mizuki attack Naruto and proud of how the boy defended himself and cut off his arm. The guy was a Chunnin but Naruto easily overpowered him. He cut off the connection on his viewing orb when Naruto appeared in his office with the boy who stole the scroll.

He listened intently on the explanation and accepted the Forbidden Scroll from the Academy student. He didn't give the boy any heavy punishment but told him that he will be restricted to doing D-Rank missions around the village for a month with only half pay. He dismissed the relieved boy and turned to Naruto who was sprawled on the couch.

"Job well done Naruto. You handled it pretty well considering the rank difference." said the Hokage.

"No problem jiji. Despite Mizuki-teme being a Chunnin, he didn't display any skill that merited the rank. I'm just happy that we got the scroll back." He paused for a bit before continuing. "Why don't we put the scroll in my library to avoid getting stolen again? Let's face it, My house is safer than your office."

"Hmmmm you have a point there. Since it is _technically_ your scroll since your dad created it." He agreed to Naruto suggestion and handed him the scroll which Naruto slung on his back.

"Well, I'll be leaving now jiji. It's a bit late and I still have team assignments tomorrow. Which reminds me, don't you think you can tell me ahead of time who my sensei and teammates are going to be?" giving the Hokage a cheeky grin.

Sarutobi laughed at his surrogate grandson's attempt to wheedle information out of him. "Oh no. You won't get anything out of me. Now why don't you go home and leave me to my work." He looked at the large pile of paperwork on his desk in disgust and gave it a glare. "I still have TONS of paperwork to finish before I can go home and rest."

"Really now jiji? What if I told you that my father already solved that particular problem? I read in his notes that he was able to find a way to conquer paperwork with a single jutsu." said Naruto now with a full-blown grin on his face.

Sarutobi was shocked. He knew that Minato found a way to conquer the detestable paperwork that all Kage seems to suffer from and took the secret to his grave. Now his son knows the secret and was willing to it to him for information regarding tomorrow's team assignment. This was too good an opportunity to pass up. He quickly went behind his table and grabbed a folder in one of the drawers and tossed it to Naruto.

Naruto caught the folder and opened it. He glanced over the information and nodded seeing that it was genuine. He looked at the waiting Hokage who was giving him a puppy-eyed look that didn't affect him at all. He laughed and spoke. "Two words jiji. Two words. Kage…Bunshin…" he dragged the last part out to further irritate the old man.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage, renowned for being the Professor, knowledgeable of many jutsus, didn't realize that a simple Shadow Clone can easily solve his paperwork problem. He slammed his head on the table repeatedly while mumbling "stupid" over and over again. Naruto just sweat dropped at this. He bade the Hokage farewell and teleported out of the office but not before hearing the old man's cackling laugh and shout.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH DIE PAPERWORK DIE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!"


	11. Chapter 11 Meeting the Team

**Disclaimer: No, Naruto isn't mine. **

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><p><strong>To Dreadful-life20: <strong>Actually, there is a reason why I decided to place the Mizuki scene since it is an integral part of the story (In the manga/anime, the Mizuki scene allowed Naruto to become a Genin and the revelation of the Kyuubi inside him). I guess you're right that I used this 'important' scene for Naruto to display his skills a bit but in truth, I didn't put in much thought or dragged out the fight. I just decided to put the scene in for the sake of making some parts of my AU canon-like. Besides, I find it fun to get Mizuki clobbered. I don't know why but there is something about the guy that irked me. He he he he he.

**To Dreadful-life20: **Nope the boy who stole is an Academy student that he didn't graduate. Mizuki offered the fake test to him instead of Naruto in the Canon.

**To DragonBard:** Oops. Thanks for the head's up regarding the ownership of the scroll. For the sake of this fic, let me leave it as it is _(**giving DragonBard a peace sign**)_

**To nxkris: **Nope, Naruto will just got the slightly-better vision of the Sharingan. We all know that this Doujutsu is DNA based and Naruto is definitely no Uchiha. Besides, I don't want to make him too powerful. Also, the eyes other abilities are useless to him because of his bloodline.

**To Janelly Slytherin:** Oh yes, paperwork is definitely bad. I was unlucky to be assigned a desk job 4 years back. Trust me, paperwork is hell.

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Meeting the Team<strong>

It was an eventful day and Naruto was exhausted. Graduation exam in the morning at the Academy, receiving gifts from the summons and training in the afternoon, then the Mizuki debacle in the forest left him with almost no energy left.

He arrived home on his last leg so he lugged his aching body towards his room up on the second floor, placed the folder he got from the Hokage on the bedside table, shed his clothes then immediately jumped on the bed. But despite how exhausted his body was, sleep is still far from his mind since he was thinking about who will be his teammates tomorrow.

Naruto didn't really have any preference on who would become his teammate. In truth, his only requirement is that they are strong enough to overcome the challenges they will be facing in the future as Genins of Konohagakure no Sato and avoid getting them and himself killed.

Since sleep is still impossible at the moment, he reached towards the bedside table and took the folder he expertly 'conned' from the old man. He opened it up and what he saw surprised him a bit. It seems that this year's teams were geared towards specialties instead of balance.

According to the files, it seems that he belonged to Team 7 under Hatake Kakashi with members Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and himself. His team was slated to be frontliners during combat situations, aiming for power to overcome whatever opponents they faced. He checked out Sasuke's stats and found it to be obvious considering that the Uchiha prodigy was strong compared to the rest of their batch mates, except for him of course he added as an afterthought. It says in the file that Sasuke would be the Ninjutsu and Taijutsu expert of the team, especially when his Sharingan activates and increase his jutsu repertoire. There was also a note that Genjutsu might become his forte if his Sharingan eyes display such capabilities.

Next was Haruno Sakura. He groaned thinking about her fangirlish tendency towards the Uchiha. If their sensei can't cure her of it then his team is doomed from the start. However, her stats and team contribution was impressive to say the least. Who knew that her Chakra Control was the best among her peers and it seems that she has a pseudo-bloodline that allowed her to increase her physical attacks.

He almost laughed when he saw his stats on the file. It seems that his goal to act weak was a success if the figures under his name were of any indication. Ninjutsu was an all-time high due to his bloodline, and Taijutsu was recorded as average. He seethed a bit considering that the Uchiha was recorded higher than him even though he wiped the floor with him quite easy. He guessed his act was too convincing and vowed to 'disillusion' everyone of the truth when they see him in action. The prospect made him release an evil grin.

He checked the other teams on the folder but he didn't find anything interesting so he closed it up and placed it back on the table before forcing himself to sleep.

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><p>(NEXT DAY – ACADEMY)<p>

The classroom was buzzing with excitement. Almost all those who passed the Graduation Exam yesterday were excited on who their teammates and sensei would be. There were only four exceptions though – Shikamaru who was sleeping, again; Shino, who was as stoic as ever; the ever-brooding Uchiha; and of course, Naruto who was just observing everyone in class with a calm yet bored, look.

The door of the classroom opened to reveal their Academy instructor, Umino Iruka, who quickly strolled to the podium in front of the class and called for everyone to be silent. Eventually, the noise died down, especially when he leveled a heated glare to both Sakura and Ino who were arguing on who gets to sit next to their 'precious Sasuke-kun'. Naruto just rolled his eyes at the scene.

"Congratulations to everyone who passed the exams yesterday. You are now proud Genin of Konoha and I'm sure that you all would be strong Shinobis and Kunoichis in the future to make the village proud. Now, let me announce the teams and their respective senseis. First is Team 1…" Iruka droned on and on while Naruto ignored him. He already knew who will go to which team but Iruka doesn't need to know that he does. When Iruka finished announcing Team 6, Naruto gave him his undivided attention.

"Team 7 would be Uchiha Sasuke…" all the girls in the classroom squealed that made the rest of the class wince at the high-pitch sound.

"Haruno Sakura…" the squealing disappeared except for one excited Sakura who was belittling Ino for not getting into the team with the love of his life.

"and Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto." When Iruka mentioned his name, the entire class became silent. Sakura and the rest of the fangirls were giving him a glare while the boys were shaking their heads in pity since Naruto will be stuck with the loudmouthed Sakura. Naruto just gave them all an amused look but continued to stay silent.

Iruka continued. "Team 8 will be Hinata Hyuuga, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba. Your Jounin instructor would be Kurenai Yuuhi. Team 9 is still in circulation under Maito Gai. Team 10 will be Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji." Shikamaru groaned.

"Great, I'm stuck with Ino. This is so troublesome." mumbled the lazy Nara heir. Naruto just chuckled.

"Relax Shika. It won't be that bad." said Naruto.

"Sure you troublesome blonde. You're in the same boat as me. You got Sakura." Shikamaru pointed out.

Naruto just waved his hand. "Nah. Having Sakura in the team won't be so bad. I'm sure our sensei will work with her to get rid of her fangirl attitude. I mean, it would be a problem if she doesn't act like a real Kunoichi during missions." defended Naruto. Shikamaru just huffed and went back to his nap.

"Now that you all know who you're teammates are, your Jounin senseis will be picking you up in a bit so I want you to stay in the classroom until they arrive." With that, Iruka left the room and the newly-minted Genins went back to their usual noisy selves.

It didn't take long for the Jounin senseis to pick up their students. First was Yuuhi Kurenai who called out to Team 8 and commanded them to proceed to Training Ground 8 for their meeting. This was followed closely by Team 10's Sarutobi Asuma. One by one, the Jounin senseis for each team picked up their respective Genins until only Team 7 were left.

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><p>It has been 2 hours now and Naruto is bored out of his mind and he was getting a small twitch on his eyes because of it. After the first hour, he tried to mingle with his teammates in hopes to get to know them better on a personal level before their sensei arrives. The idea was immediately shot down when Sasuke just leveled him a glare and Sakura screeched for him to stop bothering her Sasuke-kun.<p>

He stayed away from the two and chose to pass the time playing with his Elemental Orbs, making them do tricks to get rid of his boredom. He saw Sasuke gave him a jealous glare, again, which Sakura naturally saw so she proceeded to berate Naruto for showing off in front of her Sasuke-kun. This grated on his nerves and he was a hair's breathe away to giving her a taste of his Elemental Drill. Oh Kami how he wanted to.

Three hours passed when Naruto's keen hearing heard the sound of footsteps outside the door. He immediately dispelled his Kamigan and sat straight on his seat. The door opened to reveal their Jounin sensei.

There was something familiar about the guy, Naruto mused. Sure he has this lazy look in his eyes but he already learned a long time ago that in the world of Shinobi, deception is practiced like an art form. However, what caught his attention was the gravity-defying silver hair of the Jounin. He only knew one person who have that hair and that made Naruto grin.

"Yo. I'm Hatake Kakashi, Jounin. You're team 7, right?" Kakashi asked the 3 Genins in front of him.

"YOU'RE LATE!" screeched Sakura while Sasuke just brooded though you can feel his irritation over their late sensei. Naruto inwardly laughed at their antics.

"Well, I have to help this old lady carry her groceries since she was complaining that they were heavy. Then I was accosted by a pair of black cats on the way here so I have to go back home and do the luck ritual so I won't get their bad luck." explained Kakashi with an eye smile. Naruto was trying his best to avoid releasing his laughter that made his stomach ache from clamping it down.

"LIAR!" shouted the pink-haired banshee.

"Anyway, I want you to be on the roof in 10 minutes. Don't be late." he instructed his students before disappearing with an audible poof.

Naruto stood up from his seat and looked at his fellow teammate. "See you up there folks." He teleported away to follow his silver-haired sensei in a pillar of red flames. He totally missed the glare from Sasuke.

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><p>Kakashi arrived on the roof in a puff of smoke and proceeded to wait for his team to come up for the meeting. He tensed when a pillar of flame suddenly erupted a few feet away from him revealing a grinning Naruto.<p>

"Yo Naruto." he greeted the blonde Genin.

"Dog-san?" asked Naruto.

"Yep it's me but could you keep my ANBU codename a secret? No one is supposed to know." informed Kakashi.

"Sure. Why didn't you tell me your name before and why did you quit ANBU?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Well, I didn't tell you my name because I wasn't allowed to. Hokage-sama asked me to take a temporary leave from my position in ANBU to take a Genin Team. I was shocked myself but I can consider this as a vacation which I sorely needed." He explained.

Naruto nodded. He moved to one of the benches on the roof and sat down while Kakashi just sat in one of the railings in front of him. "So how have you been? You haven't visited me in a while."

"Sorry about that. I have been busy with all the missions assigned to my ANBU team. Besides, I was pulled out of your protection since you didn't need it anymore. The Hokage told me that you can easily protect yourself if the spar you had with him was any indication."

"You were there?" asked a startled Naruto.

"Nope, but Hokage-sama explained the entire spar to me when I asked why I was being removed and reassigned." explained Kakashi.

Naruto was about to ask something else when the door opened to reveal a brooding Sasuke and a winded Sakura. Both Kakashi and Naruto shook their heads on how weak she is. Kakashi was already regretting the work he will be putting in the team just to help Sakura catch up to the boy's level.

"Good, you're all here. Now what we are going to do is to introduce ourselves for us to get to know each other better?" said Kakashi while giving his students an eye smile.

"Why don't you start first sensei to show us how its done." asked Sakura.

"Uhh sure. My name is Hatake Kakashi your Jounin Sensei. Umm there are a lot of things I like that you need not concern yourself about. My dislike are...hmmmm…I don't think I want to share that with you either. My hobbies…ummm…moving on. My dreams for the future…well…it's too personal for you to know so I'll just keep it to myself thank you very much."

Sakura was fuming that all they got was his name. Sasuke was doing the same thing. Naruto was trying his best not to laugh at their faces.

"Why don't you go next pinkie?" said Kakashi, pointing to Sakura who was bristling for being called 'pinkie'.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…." She looked at Sasuke and squealed. "My dislikes are INO and NARUTO-BAKA! My hobbies are…" she gave Sasuke a glance then blushed. "And my dreams for the future are…" He gave Sasuke a lustful look which scared the dark-haired teen.

"O…k…you're turn blondie." He then pointed at Naruto who he noticed was sweating from holding back his laughter.

Naruto coughed and straightened in his seat. "My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. My hobbies are training, reading the various books in my Clan's library, my summons, and ramen." Upon the mention of summons, both Kakashi and Sasuke were giving him weird looks. "I like my adopted family, namely the Ichiraku Family, Hokage-jiji, Dog-san, and flying around with my summon. I dislike people who are arrogant, bigoted, and close-minded. My dream for the future is to make my friends and families proud and become the strongest Shinobi in the world."

Kakashi nodded then looked at the brooding Sasuke. "You're turn emo-boy."

Sasuke scowled. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have any likes and I have a lot of dislikes. My hobby is to train to get stronger. My dream, no my life ambition, is to avenge my clan by killing someone I hate." He said all this in a monotone voice. Sakura found Sasuke's introduction to be badass and she was looking at him with hearts in her eyes.

Naruto and kakashi were having similar thoughts _"This kid is going to be trouble." _

Kakashi nodded at their introduction. "Good. Now that we know a little bit about each other, I want you all to meet me in Training Ground 7 at exactly 6 in the morning for Survival Training tomorow." The three Genins were giving him shocked looks. However, it was Sakura who decided to speak her mind.

"Uhhh Kakashi-sensei, we already passed the Survival Training while we were in the Academy."

"I know but this is MY Survival Training in order for you to pass and become Genins of Konoha."

Now this caught Sasuke and Naruto's attention. Sakura, however, didn't like what she heard. "WHAT! BUT IRUKA-SENSEI TOLD US THAT WE ARE ALREADY GENINS AND WE ALREADY PASSED THE EXAM YESTERDAY."

Kakashi winced at the loud voice. "True, you did pass the Academy Exam but that doesn't necessarily mean you are Genins. The exams in the Academy were to weed out untalented students who don't have what it takes to become Shinobis. Those who pass will need to take another test from their respective Jounin sensei before they can be recognized as 'real' Genins of Konoha."

"So what's entailed in this 'Survival Training' you mentioned Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto, curious about the whole thing. Kakashi just gave Naruto a small smile.

"You'll just have to find out tomorrow now would you? Also, I would like to warn you that not all of you can pass. In fact, statistic shows that 66% of those who took part of their Jounin-sensei's test failed." He said the last part in an ominous voice that practically sent shiver down their spines. "Anyway, see you tomorrow in Training Ground 7 at 6. Oh, by the way, don't eat any breakfast since you will definitely puke it out during my test." With that, he left via _Shunshin _leaving the 3 Genins alone.

Naruto looked over to where his teammates were seated. "Hey guys, why don't we go get a bite of lunch together and discuss about the test tomorrow?" Sasuke grunted a negative and started to walk away while Sakura just gave him a glare and followed the brooding teen.

He shrugged his shoulders and decided to drop his attempts to make friends with his teammates. He looked up and saw that it was still early so he decided to spend some quality time with his favorite Phoenix summon and enjoy some much-needed flight. He walked to the center of the roof not noticing that Sasuke and Sakura were looking at him. He channeled a bit of his chakra to his phoenix tattoo to call out one of his favorite summons.

A large puff of smoke covered the entire roof before it dispersed to reveal and dark red phoenix with amber eyes. **"Naruto-sama. What can I do for you this fine day?" **greeted the Phoenix summon.

"Hi Hikari. I have the whole afternoon free so what you say for spending it enjoying a good fly?" asked an excited Naruto.

"**Of course Naruto-sama. I always enjoy our flight together. Hop on." **Hikari agreed and spread her wings a bit to invite the Naruto to jump on her back.

Naruto didn't waste any time. He jumped and landed on Hikari's back and channeled chakra to his feet to stick him in place. Hikari rose to her full height and spread her impressive wings. She flapped a couple of times before launching into the air in a powerful jump and flew away towards one of the forested areas surrounding Konoha.

Sakura jaw dropped at the sight and was looking at Naruto and his bird while they were flying away. She couldn't believe what Naruto just did.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was shaking in rage. He was the Rookie of the Year but Naruto commanded such a powerful summon. By all right, it should be his. He stomped off to the door to leave the Academy with Sakura trailing along behind him.

When the roof was clear, Kakashi dropped his Genjutsu and chuckled a bit at Naruto's show-off attitude. He shook his head at the other two's actions when Naruto offered a chance for them to be friends.

"I have my work cut out for me with these three. I hope Kami will show some mercy." mumbled Kakashi before he left the roof this time for real.


	12. Chapter 12 Kakashi's Test

**Disclaimer: I wish I own Naruto but i don't...sigh. **

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><p><strong>Here's another round of feedbacks from the reviews I got:<strong>

**To pandora vanity: **same here. It's rare for fanfics with a sword-weilding Naruto and I love it when he does.

**To Janelly Slytherin: **They are in the process of doing so but Naruto is making the first step to connect with the two.

**To Asa Usa: **Thank you for the review. I'll try my best to improve my plots and update as fast as I can. (To the readers of Naruto: A Fox Among Wolves, read memo after this section.)**  
><strong>

**To Jasmine: **Don't worry I'm working on it. I'm only human, after all. hehehehe

**To the READERS: PLEASE GIVE ME MORE REVIEWS TO HELP ME IMPROVE AND TO KNOW IF YOU LIKE THE STORY. AFTER ALL, FIC-WRITERS TEND TO WORK FASTER WHEN THEIR READERS LOVE THEM. SHOW ME THE LOVE PEOPLE!**

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><p><strong>Announcement regarding Naruto: A Fox among Wolves.<strong>

_I already drafted two chapters for this story that coincide with the book but I can't release it yet since my Beta Reader is busy with something out of the country so... please be patient. Will release it as soon as she gets back to check the story out. After all, the story is a collaboration from the two of us._

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Kakashi's Test<strong>

Naruto woke up to the blearing of the alarm which he set up last night before going to avoid so he won't be late. He yawned and stretched a bit to get the kinks out of his sleeping muscles before rolling off the bed and proceeded to the bathroom for his morning ritual.

After his morning shower, he created a Shadow Clone to make him some breakfast, as well as some packed ones for his team later. He decided yesterday evening when he got home that the instruction to avoid eating was detrimental to a Shinobi's health, especially when a mission is concerned. A Shinobi always needs his energy to be at full capacity before engaging in any mission so there was something fishy about the whole thing. Also, shinobis were supposed to be about deception so he wouldn't one up over Kakashi to make some bogus instructions just to fool them.

He went up to the armory and proceeded to seal some much needed supply just in case Kakashi's test involves some big battle between the team. He decided to bring 50 kunais, 50 shurikens, 10 explosive tags, and 10 Soldier Pills just in case his teammates run out of chakra in the middle of a brawl. He packed some of it into his holsters and pouch while he sealed the rest in a scroll which he placed in one of the hidden pockets on his robe.

He went down to the kitchen and ate a hearty breakfast and picked up the spare food and sealed them into a storage seal on his left arm. It was an impressive seal that he invented that is very useful for any Shinobi who spends a lot of time in the field. With a storage seal on their body, they can easily bring the necessities with them on any mission without having to bring scrolls or packs with them. Unfortunately, only he alone knows how to create such a seal and hasn't yet told anyone about it. After all, he needs a few aces up his sleeves and he can always pass it off as a Clan Technique so the council won't pester him about it.

He saw that there's still an hour left before meeting the team so he decided to take the scenic route. He summoned Hikari again, took out some sweets that she liked and fed it to her, before taking off for Training Ground 7.

When he arrived at his destination, he saw that his teammates were already there. He instructed Hikari to hover for a while before landing so he can observe his teammates.

After looking closely, he saw that both Sakura and Sasuke were looking worst for wear. It seems that they followed Kakashi's advice to the letter and didn't eat breakfast. He nudged Hikari to land which she did, landing a few feet away from the rest of Team 7 before Naruto jumped off. He thanked Hikari with another round of sweets which she hastily gobbled up before poofing back to her home. Naruto shook his head at his friend's antics. Who knew that Phoenixes were addicted to sweets? Naruto walked over to his team.

Sasuke was sitting on top of one of the training logs that littered the Training Ground while Sakura was sitting underneath. He walked over to them. "Hi Sasuke, Sakura. Good morning." Naruto greeted them cheerfully.

Sasuke just gave him a disgusted look. "What so good about the morning dobe?" he grunted.

"Yeah. If you noticed, we didn't get much sleep and we didn't get to eat any breakfast. We are hungry and it's still too early." complained an irate Sakura.

Naruto just gave them amused looks. "Don't tell me you followed Kakashi's advice to not eat breakfast?" he said incredulously. Both his teammates just gave him a look as if he was crazy.

"Baka! Of course we did. Kakashi-sensei said so." said Sakura irritably. Naruto shook his head. He flopped down in front of his teammate and gave them a calm look.

"Guys. If you think about it, Kakashi-sensei didn't exactly tell us not to EAT breakfast."

"What do you mean dobe?" said Sasuke.

"Think about it. He said NOT to eat breakfast since we are just going to throw it up. If you think that you can handle his exam then you can eat without having to worry about his order. Hell, you can even get a few bites so your stomach won't bother you until the next meal. Also, don't you think that it is against the Shinobi code to NOT eat breakfast? What if this was a mission? You would be dead before you can get a mile out of Konoha. What if you got ambushed on your way to your destination with your client? How can you protect them if you don't even have enough chakra to attack?" explained Naruto as patiently as he could to get his point across. Sasuke was deep in thought while Sakura was silent for once. Both were thinking about what Naruto said.

Seeing that both were thinking about it, he decided to nudge them a little more into becoming a team. He really wanted them to see him as a teammate instead of a rival.. "I see that you understood what I was trying to say so did you guys bring any food? There's still a few minutes before the start of the test so you can eat some food to keep your energies up."

Sakura looked at him nervously before saying "No. We didn't bring any food with us." she said dejectedly. Sasuke just stayed silent but both winced when their stomachs released a loud growl of hunger.

Naruto just smirked and channeled a bit of chakra to the storage seal on his left hand. With a puff of smoke, a medium-sized lunch box appeared in between them. Naruto removed the cover to reveal enough breakfast to feed 3 people easily. Inside were sweet buns, some fruits, and a bottle of Orange juice. Both were eyeing the food hungrily. "Good thing I thought of packing some extra food just in case we have to stay here long. Why don't you guys eat so we won't have to worry about both of you dropping like flies later." said Naruto cheerfully and to prove his point, he took out a sweet bun and took a deep bite.

Seeing Naruto eat the food was enough for Sasuke and Sakura to accept Naruto's offer. Both dived hungrily into the lunch box and ate everything in sight. Naruto was amused at watching them fill their empty stomachs with all the food that he brought along. Sasuke and Sakura flushed down the food they ate with a healthy swig of juice. Both sighed and had a look of contentment on their faces. Naruto just gave them a smile and replaced the now empty lunch box back into the seal.

"So guys, any idea what the test is all about?" asked Naruto, leaning on one of the poles.

Sakura shook her head. "Nope. I tried asking Ino's dad about it but he was tightlipped. Any idea Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke just grunted and mumbled "No."

"Well, whatever it is we can easily handle it. Sasuke is the Rookie of the Year after all and Sakura is one of the brightest Kunoichi in the Academy. Between the three of us, this will be a piece of cake." declared Naruto confidently. Sasuke's chest puffed slightly at the praise and Sakura blushed a bit while giving Naruto a grateful look.

The trio settled into a comfortable silence while waiting for their sensei to appear but it all went down to hell after an hour of waiting. Out of boredom, each decided to do something to pass the time since leaving was out of the question. Sasuke decided to do a little bit of target practice by throwing kunais at one of the training posts. Sakura, as usual, was busy showering praises with Sasuke's every throw.

Naruto moved away from the group and settled into a comfortable stance in the middle of the field – feet spread apart at shoulder width with both hands spread on his sides all fingers together pointing to the ground. He took a deep breath and channeled his chakra into his hands, specifically to his fingers, and slowly formed two Chakra Blades. He closed his eyes and started his exercise.

Naruto was fascinated with the concept of wielding two blades due to its capability of both attacks and defense. Despite the lack of reading material on dual sword techniques in his Clan Library, Naruto decided to make his own style by integrating two swords to his mother's Kenjutsu technique. He found that there were a lot of holes for a two-sword style but he decided to make a new kata out of it by using the original as foundation. Progress was slow but Naruto was determined to get it down.

Sasuke paused from his throwing practice when he saw Naruto create his Chakra Blades and was gripped with envy at the sight. Since he was young, he has been praised and showered with gifts since he was the last loyal Uchiha in Konoha. The attention didn't really affect him much at first but the constant show of it slowly made him arrogant, especially when someone displays more power than him. He gritted his teeth and decided to confront the blonde. He pocketed all the kunais he used then stomped off towards his blonde teammate with Sakura trailing along behind him.

When he got near, he saw that Naruto's eyes were closed in concentration as he weaved through each swing. He didn't like being ignored so he decided to cut in. "Hey dobe."

Naruto was brought out of his focus when he heard Sasuke's voice. He stopped his exercise and dispersed his Chakra Blades then faced his dark-haired teammate. "Anything I can do for you Sasuke?" he asked calmly.

"How did you create those blades?" demanded Sasuke.

Naruto just gave him a long look. He knew that Sasuke was always jealous of people who showed more skill than him and he understood his mindset considering his goal of avenging his family. He didn't really hate the guy but he always has this dislike of arrogant people. He decided last night to approach his teammates with caution since he really wanted this team to work out.

Humoring Sasuke, he flopped down on the grass and settled into a lotus position and gestured Sasuke to do the same, which he did. "What do you want to know Sasuke?" Naruto asked politely, determined to reach deep into his teammates attitude and try to appeal on a professional level.

"I want to know how you made those…those…things or whatever it is you call them." asked Sasuke irritably.

Naruto smiled at the dark-haired avenger's demands and decided to play along. "What do you know of the Uzumaki Clan?"

Irritated at being asked a question, he snipped a not-so-friendly reply. "Why should I know about such a _loser_ clan?" Naruto ignored the pitiful jab to his clan's honor.

"Well, if you want to know about how I created my Chakra Blades then you first need to know about the Uzumaki Clan in general." answered Naruto in the same calm voice though the narrowed eyes gave testament that he was holding his temper from flaring out.

Sakura decided to butt in since she was curious about Naruto's clan. "Ummm…Naruto…what is the connection between the Uzumaki Clan and those Chakra Blades you mentioned?" Naruto looked at Sakura. Seeing that she was genuinely curious, he decided to explain it to her, and by extension, to Sasuke.

"Everything. The current skills I have are all part of my bloodline that is quite common in the Uzumaki Clan." He raised one of his hands and created a Chakra Blade for them to see. "This is just one of the few things I can do with my bloodline. This is called Chakra Manipulation. It allows me to create any construct out of Chakra and focus alone. There is something in my clan's DNA that allows us to gain control of our own chakra as if it was sentient and bend it to our will." explained Naruto while he released his hold on the blade he created which disappeared into thin air.

"I want you to teach it to me dobe!" demanded Sasuke in his arrogant tone. Naruto ignored it again, for now.

"Well, I'm not sure if it can be taught Sasuke. As I said before, it is part of my mother's bloodline and is deeply tied into our DNA. According to my mother's records, she tried to teach it once to a friend of hers but wasn't able to get it because they just can't gain total control of their chakra. She said on her scroll that normal Shinobis gain control of their chakra through the use of hand seals to manipulate how they work. This is how jutsus work. In my clan, we can do anything with it without requiring the use of seals."

"Tsk, she must have taught a loser then if she can't get it right." scoffed Sasuke.

Naruto's eyes glinted a bit at Sasuke's declaration. _"If that is how he wants to play then its time to bring down the Uchiha arrogance a few pegs._" Naruto thought. "Ok Sasuke, there was no record of her teaching an Uchiha our technique but _maybe_ you would be the first to get it right. Even Sakura can join us if she wants." challenged Naruto.

"Bring it on dobe. I can do this with my eyes closed." declared Sasuke arrogantly.

"_Gotcha you bastard. Hook, line, and sinker."_ Naruto mentally crowed. "Great. Let's get started then. The first part of the exercise that is practiced by all Uzumaki clan in Chakra Manipulation is to bring out your chakra to a visible spectrum. According to my mother's journal, she was able to complete this exercise when she was 3 years old. I got it after 5 months when I decided to learn it. Now, I want you to channel your chakra to your hand and try to bring it out. Make it visible to a solid state. Here let me demonstrate."

Naruto brought out his hand and focused a bit. Slowly, an aura of white chakra enveloped his hand covering all of it down to the wrist. "Sakura, I want you to touch the chakra on my hand and tell me if it is solid or not." instructed Naruto.

Sakura did as told and poked a finger at the visible chakra in Naruto's hand. She was surprised that it was solid. She ran her fingers from the wrist over to the fingers. Yep, it was definitely solid. "Amazing. I've never seen solid chakra before."

"I'll be surprised if you did because chakra is supposed to be intangible in a sense. Only an Uzumaki Clan can make a solid construct out of it. Now why don't you both try? All you need to do is to channel chakra to your hand as much as you can and FORCE it to become solid. Don't worry about your chakra reserves. I brought some Soldier Pills with me in case you run out."

And so they did. For the next hour, both Sakura and Sasuke tried with all of their might to release chakra to their hands and do what Naruto did to no avail. Both were getting frustrated while Naruto just watched them with amusement while showing off his skills in Chakra Manipulation. The solid construct in his hand turned to a sword, a knife, to kunai, to senbon, and even to a fan. He saw that his 'showing off' was infuriating the Uchiha but Sakura has this determined look in her eyes. After a few minutes, both quit the exercise and Naruto handed them a pill each to replenish their reserves. "So, how did it go? Hard right?"

"Is there no other way to teach it to others? It is pretty useful." mused Sakura.

Naruto thought about it for a while. "It cannot be taught but if a non-Uzumaki Clan member follows the exercise then there are some benefits you can get out of it."

"What is it?" asked Sasuke in an irritated voice. He was a bit mad that such a powerful technique cannot be learned by anyone since it was a bloodline. He did try his best to do as Naruto instructed but it seems that the dobe was right that only an Uzumaki blood member can learn it.

"Hmmmm I guess you would have an improved control over your chakra. Theoretically, it would make it easier for you to do various Ninjutsu techniques or even increase your physical capabilities. There are a lot of possibilities if you have improved Chakra Control. One example here is Sakura."

"Me?" asked a surprised Sakura.

"Yes. Have you ever noticed that your strength is stronger than that of an average Genin in the Academy despite your obvious lack of muscles and speed?"

"You know, I never really thought of that. To be honest, I didn't really pay attention to it." admitted Sakura, blushing at the last part. She was supposed to be the smartest Kunoichi in their class and she didn't even notice it.

"That is because you have an almost perfect Chakra Control. Because your control is so good, you subconsciously channel chakra every time you release a punch thus increasing its overall strength. If you can gain control over such skill and convert it from passive to active, then who knows how stronger your attacks would become."

"How do you think I can do that?" asked an excited Sakura, almost bouncing from her seat over the prospect of getting stronger to make her Sasuke notice her more.

"Training of course. You need to dish out hard work and training to get to that level. Remember, chakra will only enhance what already have. For example, if your current strength can decimate a tree with a single punch, imagine how powerful it would become if you use your chakra to enhance its effects. If I remember my history correctly, Tsunade of the Sannin has the same ability." He looked at the brooding Sasuke. "Even you can do the same thing Sasuke if you apply the same concept."

"Hmph. I don't need to do those things. We Uchiha are already strong." declared Sasuke in a haughty voice. Naruto suddenly got this sudden urge to strangle the arrogant teen in front of him.

"That is where you're wrong Sasuke. Let me ask you a rhetorical question. Do you think I'm strong?" asked Naruto hoping to get his point across and hopefully reach out to the arrogant boy.

"Hnnnn" was all Sasuke's reply. However, Sakura chose to answer for him.

"Well, from what you've shown in the Academy, you are strong because of your bloodline." admitted Sakura.

"You're wrong Sakura. I didn't gain my strength and skill just because of my bloodline. Let me ask you this, out of all the years we spent together in the Academy, when have you seen me use my bloodline, especially in spars?"

Sakura was stumped. Naruto was right. He didn't use his bloodline during their time in the Academy. The spars were a testament to what he could do. The only time he used his bloodline was during the Ninjutsu lesson and the match with Sasuke.

Naruto saw the comprehension on Sakura's face and chose to answer for her. "I think you got my point Sakura. I didn't rely on my bloodline. Sure I practiced with it a couple of time to improve my control over it but I don't let it rule my life you know. I train my body everyday and was able to reach my current level through hard work. Having a bloodline alone doesn't make you special. I consider it as a tool to help me get stronger and survive, other than that, I consider it a crutch if I depend too much on it. The Sharingan is one example of it."

Sasuke got angry when he heard this. He rounded on the blonde teen. "WHAT? The Sharingan is NOT a crutch. It is the true strength of the Uchiha Clan. It is what makes us powerful."

Naruto sighed. Sasuke was just that hard-headed. "Ok let me ask you this Sasuke. You don't have your Sharingan now but you are Rookie of the Year in the Academy. How did you reach that level? Simple, you trained yourself everyday. I know your drive to defeat your brother and to avenge your clan and you used that drive to get stronger. However, you are relying too much on your Sharingan or will rely on it too much when you awaken it in the future."

"Explain." growled Sasuke. He didn't really like where this is going but he wanted to know what the blonde's point was. Despite Sasuke's animosity, Naruto sensed that he is slowly getting through to the boy. "

"Ok let me give you a scenario Sasuke. What if you meet a shinobi that is stronger than you and faster than you? Yeah you have the Sharingan to help you see his movements but what if your body is not strong enough to counter his attacks? Because you rely too much on your Sharingan, you neglect to train physically thus now being able to reach your limit and improving yourself. This is also the same when you copy techniques using your family doujutsu. Even if you got the schematics down, you still need to train with the jutsu you copied in order to master and use it fully. That is what I meant as a crutch." Seeing Sasuke was about to argue but he raised his hands to tell him to be quiet. "I'm not done yet. I even consider my bloodline as a crutch. If I rely too much on it then how do you think I will improve? How can I use my bloodline well if my body is not up to the task? That is what I meant that by OVERUSING your bloodline it will eventually become a roadblock that will surely hinder your growth as a shinobi."

"So what do you suggest dobe? That I don't try to awaken my Sharingan? That I'm better off without it?" asked Sasuke heatedly, his anger getting the best of him.

"Calm down, Sasuke-san. I am not insulting you or your bloodline. You asked my opinion so I just answered you. It's up to you to decide. I didn't say not to awaken your Sharingan, in fact, it would be your best interest to do so. But I just want to let you realize that even if you do awaken your Sharingan, the only path to get stronger, stronger than anyone mind you, is to train your mind and body so you can use it effectively."

"He is right you know." A voice interrupted their discussion. All three Genins followed the voice and saw their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, leaning against a tree directly to their right. As always, he looked bored and lazy.

Kakashi arrived an hour ago but was content on listening to the three talking about Naruto's bloodline. He was shocked that Naruto was willing to teach his teammates despite their obvious dislike for him and that made him respect the blonde all the more. Heck, he even tried the exercise that Naruto relayed to his teammates about Chakra Manipulation and all he was able to do was bring out his chakra but not turn it solid like what the exercise was supposed to do. If he, with his Jounin-level skills can't do that then he was sure that the two wouldn't be able to get it.

"YOU'RE LATE!" shouted Sakura.

He ignored Sakura's outburst and scratched the back of his head. "Hehehehe I know Sakura. Anyway, Naruto is right Sasuke. If you want to become stronger then you need to train harder. There is nothing wrong in using power, but you have to work your butt's off if you want to get it. Similar to weapons and tools, even if you have a super sharp kunai, it wouldn't do you much good if you don't know how to use it properly. One example in your clan that was able to surpass everyone is your brother Uchiha Itachi."

"DON'T YOU DARE MENTION HIS NAME IN FRONT OF ME!" shouted Sasuke, jumping up. Hearing Itachi's name made his rage flow out of him in waves. Kakashi just looked at him, not intimidated in the least by the killer intent directed at him by the dark-haired Uchiha.

"I think I should Sasuke. You need to hear what I have to say in order for you to understand Naruto's point and become a strong shinobi of Konoha. You see, Itachi and Naruto both have the same theory when it comes to bloodline. It can either be an asset or a crutch to a Shinobi's life. Why do you think Itachi became the strongest at such a young age even among the standards of your clan? It wasn't because that he was a prodigy or because of the Sharingan. In fact, he told me when we were working together in ANBU that he didn't rely on the Sharingan during his training. He trained without it and keeps getting stronger in both mind and body. Did you know that he only used the Sharingan on stronger enemies just to gain an edge or as a last resort?"

"Kakashi-sensei. How could you praise him like that? He murdered his entire family?" shouted Sakura.

"I know Sakura but you can never deny the fact that Uchiha Itachi is the strongest out of the Uchihas during his generation. I don't condone his acts of murdering his clan but I respect him as a strong Shinobi." He looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke here is the same way. He has the ability to become the strongest, even stronger than Itachi if he only applied himself on the right path." He gave them a smile and beckoned all of them to follow him.

Kakashi guided them to the training logs in one corner of the field. He pulled out an alarm clock and placed it on one of the stumps along with 3 boxes of bento lunches then faced his team. "Ok guys. Now we are going to start your test to see if you're worthy to become Genins of Konoha. What I want all three of you to do is to take one of these bells in order to pass. The test ends when the alarm rings." He raised two bells and pointed to the clock he placed on the stump.

All three Genins saw that there were only two bells and there were three of them. Sakura was the one who voiced out the fact. "But sensei, there are only two bells. Does this mean that only two of us can pass?"

Kakashi smiled. "Correct Sakura. Only two of you will be able to pass and the one who didn't get the bell will be going back for another year in the Academy."

"BUT THAT'S UNFAIR!" complained the pink-haired girl.

"Who said life is fair Sakura?" rebutted Kakashi.

Naruto was confused over the whole test thing that Kakashi mentioned. There is something wrong with this exam and he can't put his finger on it. He decided to drop it for now and see what develops later on. He was interrupted from his thoughts when Kakashi continued.

"So any questions? No? Good. I want you all to come at me with everything you got. I want you to come at me with the intent to kill similar to facing an enemy shinobi. The test will start when I say go…so…GO!" With that, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke moved as fast as they could to the protection of the trees and hid their presence, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

"_They hid their presence well. Not really as good as I thought but good enough for Genins fresh out of the Academy I suppose."_ thought Kakashi. He was brought out of his musings when he sensed a presence behind him. He turned quickly and saw Naruto standing there with a confused look on his face.

"You know, there is something wrong with what you said earlier." said Naruto in a calm voice.

"Oh? Do tell?" asked Kakashi while smiling at the blonde Genin. _"Could he have figured it out already?"_ he added mentally.

"I can't put my finger on it but I sense that there is some trick to this test."

"How perceptive of you."

"Will you tell me?"

"Ummmm…no."

"Well, if that is the case then I'll just have to _force_ it out of you." declared Naruto.

He settled into his Taijutsu stance and lunged at Kakashi with great speed. He was able to cover the distance in a second and launched a clawed swipe towards his sensei's chest. Kakashi saw this as clear as day so he stepped back to avoid the swipe. Naruto didn't let up so he aimed a well-placed kick that would easily break Kakashi's ribs if it hit but Kakashi was able to block it with ease with an arm. "You're good Naruto but not good enough." taunted Kakashi.

Seeing that his attack didn't work, Naruto disengaged from his Taijutsu attacked and jumped back a couple of feet away from his opponent. He stretched his right arm and 3 kunais slid out from his sleeve onto his hand. He threw the kunais at Kakashi who blocked it using his own. Kakashi was about to throw his own kunai at Naruto but stopped when he heard a sizzling sound below him. He saw an explosive tag attached to the kunais that Naruto threw at him and it was smoking.

"_Shit."_ He cursed as he performed a quick _Shunshin_ behind Naruto before the tag exploded.

Kakashi appeared behind Naruto and rushed at him with a kunai. Naruto felt his presence and immediately reacted by creating a Chakra Blade on his right hand and blocked Kakashi's swing. Metal and solid chakra met with a loud clang. _"Damn! That thing is solid!" _Kakashi thought_. "I guess he wasn't joking when he said that his bloodline can turn his chakra into something solid." _

Naruto pushed Kakashi back with a grunt then took a horizontal swipe at Kakashi's stomach which the Jounin was able to dodge by backflipping out of Naruto's range. Naruto didn't let up so he dashed forward and continued to release a barrage of swings and thrust in hopes to land a strategic hit to weaken his opponent but Kakashi either dodged by swerving his body or blocking the attacks with his Kunai.

Unfortunately for Naruto, he overextended one of his thrusts that threw him off balance which Kakashi took advantage off by placing a well-aimed kick to his chest with enough force to throw him back a couple of feet. Naruto was able to right himself and landed on the ground on a crouch, Chakra Blade already gone and one hand clutching his chest in pain. _"He's strong" _thought Naruto while massaging his stinging chest.

"Not good enough Naruto. You have to do better than that." taunted Kakashi, giving him a lazy smile.

"I'm not done yet Kakashi-sensei." shouted Naruto. He righted his stance, threw both his hands out, and created two Chakra Blades one in each hand.

"_Holy Kami. He can make two of them! He shouldn't be a Genin for crying out loud. He should be a Chunnin with the strength he's displaying."_ ranted shocked Kakashi.

With both blades stretched out at his sides, he lunged forward towards his opponent and raised an overhand swing with his right blade which Kakashi easily blocked with his kunai. Seeing his chance, Naruto swung a low horizontal slash using his left blade while Kakashi's kunai was busy fending off the other. Kakashi saw this and his eyes widened slightly.

Naruto was able to land a hit but before he can congratulate himself, Kakashi poofed into a log with a clean cut in the middle. _"Damn, he substituted himself. He could be anywhere."_ Naruto mentally ranted. _"Now where did he go?" _He looked around the field trying to get a sense on where his wayward sensei is hiding.

He was caught unawares when two hands shot out of the ground below him and grabbed his ankles. He was yanked down hard into the ground which only left his head sticking out. Kakashi jumped out of the earth in front of him and gave him a smile. "You are underestimating me Naruto. You're good but not that good."

Naruto smirked and activated his Kamigan. His Elemental Orbs immediately materialized on top of him. The Fire Orb released a stream of red-hot flames towards Kakashi who was able to dodge it by jumping to the right. Seeing his chance, Naruto used his control over the Earth Orb to loosen the earth around him, enough for him to jump out with ease. "It's not over yet Kakashi-sensei." shaking the bits of earth that clung to his clothes. He deactivated his Kamigan and threw a shuriken at Kakashi while doing some hand seals as it flew.

**Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone. **

Kakashi's eyes widen some more when the single shuriken turned into 50 and was heading straight for him. Running out of options, he went through a couple of hand seals himself then spat out a torrent of mud from his mouth which hardened into a thick wall of earth.

**Earth Style: Mud Wall**

Kakashi's technique easily shielded him from the barrage of shuriken. Naruto saw his chance while Kakashi was temporarily blinded by the wall he created. He willed out his Chakra Blades again and dashed forward. He channeled a bit of chakra to his feet and climbed the height of Kakashi's wall before jumping off which brought him to a perfect attack position from above. With a loud yell, he swung his blades down hard, intent to incapacitate his sensei and retrieve a bell.

Kakashi heard the yell from above and his eyes widened again when he saw Naruto was about to give him a 2-sword slash. He hastily brought out two kunais from his pouch and channeled some chakra into it before intercepting the attack. The strength of the blow was enough to create a mini shockwave that displaced the dust around the two combatants.

Not wanting to be outdone, Kakashi channeled chakra to his muscles and deftly pushed the blonde Genin off him and threw him to the air. He bent down, one hand on the ground and released a vertical upward kick with his body stretched out that hit Naruto straight in the chest. What caught him unaware was when Naruto burst into smoke when the kick met its mark.

"_Damn, that was a Shadow Clone. He could be anywhere."_ thought Kakashi. He looked around the field and tensed for an attack. When none came, he decided to hunt the rest of Team 7 and bring them down before they pull a one up on him.

* * *

><p>Naruto was observing the fight between Kakashi and his clone on the field below. He replaced himself with his clone earlier when he was kicked by Kakashi early in their battle<em>. "Good thing I made some clones beforehand."<em> Naruto thought. The memory of that kick made him wince_. "I guess I made him go all out there." _

When he saw Kakashi dash into the trees, he was immediately on alert. It seems that his attack made Kakashi decide to pick them off one by one. If that is the case, then there is definitely a reason behind this test and it still eluded him. Deciding to think about it later, he closed his eyes and released a pulse of chakra along the training field.

The technique was called Chakra Sonar which Kyuubi taught him during his 1-year training before the Academy. It was a necessity for Kyuubi to have such a technique considering that his enemies were the size of ants so having a pulse of chakra to scour the battlefield and return a few pulses to tell him of their position was a good strategy against multiple foes.

Naruto got a pulse from his Chakra Sonar telling him that Sakura was a few hundred meters to his left. Oddly enough, Sasuke was in the same location as well but from the pulse he got, it seems that Sasuke hid his presence from Sakura. He shook his head then headed off to Sakura's location.

* * *

><p>Sakura immediately hid herself when her sensei gave the signal. Her initial goal was to go with Sasuke and discuss with him how to take the bells leaving Naruto in the dust. However, her plan failed when her idol disappeared to another location with no idea how to find him. She hid himself behind the bush and checked out the clearing to find Naruto preparing to battle Kakashi. <em>"Baka. He won't stand a chance." <em>she thought.

However, her initial assumption over the blonde's defeat was thrown out of the loop when said blonde was holding his own against Kakashi. She knew that his teammate was skilled but what she saw in the battle definitely made her jaw drop. "_How can he fight Kakashi-sensei with such skills?"_ she asked herself, unable to believe that Naruto was hiding such strength even during the Academy. _"I bet Sasuke is better."_

Her jaw further dropped when she saw that the shuriken Naruto threw multiplied which forced Kakashi to resort to Ninjutsu to protect himself and ran up the wall that Kakashi created to almost land a hit on their sensei with an overhand strike.

She became smug when her sensei was able to do an acrobatic kick that hit the blonde in mid-air but was shocked when Naruto disappeared in smoke. The one thing in her head was how Naruto could pull of those techniques as if it was nothing.

She was brought out of her musings when Kakashi appeared beside her giving her an eye smile "Yo Sakura. Found you." He said in a cheerful voice before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. When her vision cleared, she saw Sasuke's bleeding form in front of her with his eyes wide and unseeing. He was dead! She did the only thing that her rational mind was capable off. She screamed then fainted.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was angry. No, he was downright furious at what he was seeing down in the clearing. Naruto was holding his own against a Jounin with practiced ease. What made him angrier was that the blonde was throwing out techniques after techniques that HE didn't know. It was making him angry. <em>"He shouldn't have that power. It should be mine. I need it to defeat Itachi."<em>

He saw Naruto disappear in a puff of smoke and Kakashi moving into the trees. It wasn't his time to attack, he needed to be patient and wait for the opportune moment to strike. He was brought out of his concentration when he heard Sakura scream from behind him. _"I guess Kakashi got to her. Useless fangirl."_

When the scream died, he focused his senses again. He saw Kakashi walk out of the trees with a smug look on his face. The Jounin walked to the middle of the field and brought out an orange book from his pocket and relaxed. He saw his chance.

"_Now's my chance while he has his guard down." _thought Sasuke. He pulled out 8 kunais, 4 in each hand and threw them towards his sensei from his position. He was exulted when his attack connected but was shocked when Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke to be replaced by a log. _"Shit he knows my position now."_

He was right when Kakashi suddenly appeared on top of him giving him his patented eye smile. "Hellllooooo Sasuke."

"Damn it!" cursed Sasuke. He scrambled out from his position as fast as he could and headed straight for the clearing in the center of the training ground. When he got there, he saw Kakashi waiting for him leaning in one of the training logs reading his orange book.

"Not a well-thought strategy there Sa-su-ke-kun. You gave away your position to me quite easily." taunted Kakashi in a lazy voice which infuriated Sasuke.

Not seeing any alternative, Sasuke threw a kunai at his sensei hoping to distract him while dashing forward behind the projectile to engage him in a Taijutsu attack. Kakashi easily saw the attack and dodged it by tilting his head to the side allowing the projectile to harmlessly pass by without pausing from his reading. Sasuke lashed out with a punch but Kakashi blocked it with his free hand which he moved up to block the kick towards his head. Sasuke released punches and kicks which was easily blocked or dodged by Kakashi until his kick overextended which Kakashi capitalized by grabbing his ankles, twisted his body then threw him away.

Sasuke seethed that his attacks didn't even faze the lazy Jounin and was surprised when he was grabbed by the ankle and thrown away. He righted his position and went through a set of seals before puffing out his chest.

**FIRE STYLE: GRAND FIREBALL**

Sasuke released his jutsu and breathed out a huge fireball careening towards his sensei.

Kakashi's eyes widened at the sight of the huge fireball threatening to roast him alive. _"Shit. What are these kids? They shouldn't be Genins if they can pull out techniques out of their ass like this. They should be Chunnins for Kami's sake." _he mentally complained while jumping out the fireball's trajectory to avoid getting barbecued. He was brought out of his musings when a barrage of kunais and shurikens came from his left. He replaced himself with a log that took the attack.

Sasuke saw Kakashi replace himself with a log after his projectile attack then rushed forward at an increased speed and aimed a kick to the face. Seeing no choice, Kakashi dropped his orange book to the ground and crossed both of his hands in front of his face which effectively blocked the attack. When he brought his hands down, he saw another large fireball heading straight for him so he dashed back to get away from the blast zone but he saw something that made his blood run cold.

His book!

He reached out trying to save his precious book when a fireball crashed on it effectively turning it into ash.

"_Noooooooooooooooooooo! My precious book!" _he mentally cried. He raised his head and looked at Sasuke with a vengeful glint in his eyes. _"I will avenge you my precioussss!" _He breezed through a series of hand seals as fast as the eyes could see and released the same fireball, only twice as big, that Sasuke used to burn his precious book.

**FIRE STYLE: GRAND FIREBALL**

Sasuke froze when Kakashi leveled him an intense glare that sent shivers down his spine. When he saw Kakashi went through a familiar hand seal and released a fireball bigger than his own, he tried to jump out of the way but the killer intent that Kakashi released earlier rooted him on the spot. He saw the fireball getting closer and closer, as if in slow motion, and raised his hands as if hoping that it would protect him from the attack.

Fortunately for him, the attack didn't reach him when a wall of water appeared in front of him took the force of the fiery projectile and snuffed it out releasing steam in the process. When he dropped his hands, he saw Naruto in front of him with his Elemental Orbs spinning around him.

"Sasuke, snap out of it. We need to regroup!" snapped Naruto while eyes still glued on Kakashi's furious form. "What in the world did you do to him to get him so mad?" asked the blonde.

"Shut up dobe. I don't need your help." grunted Sasuke while shaking off the fear that gripped him earlier. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was thankful for the blonde assistance that protected him from being barbecued to a crisp.

"Well, from what happened to you just know I think you definitely needed my help unless you want to become a burnt piece of meat of course." said Naruto jovially.

"Get out of here dobe. I'll take care of him on my own."

"Listen here Sasuke. No matter what we do, there is no hope we can take him one by one. He is a freaking Jounin for a reason. We need to regroup and plan out a strategy. I already saved Sakura so we need to go NOW!" demanded Naruto, shouting out the last part to get Sasuke's attention.

Sasuke was about to say something but was cut off when Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and teleported them out of the clearing in a burst of flame leaving Kakashi to mourn for his lost book.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke appeared at the opposite side of the Training Ground 7 in a burst of flame that startled Sakura. Upon arrival, Sasuke immediately shrugged Naruto's hand off his shoulder and rounded on him. "Why did you do that? I could take him by myself."<p>

Naruto just gave him an incredulous look. "If you don't remember, I SAVED you back there. If you want, I can bring you back there right now and let Kakashi barbecue you again." dared Naruto.

Sasuke closed his mouth with an audible snap and gritted his teeth. He was about to say something when he was interrupted by Sakura. "Stop it you two. He is right Sasuke-kun, there is no way for us to beat kakashi-sensei alone. This is not the time to bicker."

Sasuke rounded on Sakura giving her a glare which she shrunk back from. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura looked down, depressed that her crush was treating her like trash. "Kakashi-sensei trapped me in a Genjutsu but Naruto saved me and brought me here. He said he will get you so we can formulate a plan to get the bells." mumbled Sakura. Sasuke looked livid.

"There is no way for that to happen. There are two bells and I'm going to get one by myself." declared Sasuke, preparing to leave the cover of the forest to confront their sensei again. He was stopped when a wall of earth blocked his path. He was about to jump over it but was held in place when his feet were covered with earth, effectively stopping him in his place. He twisted his body to see Naruto with his bloodline active, his Elemental Orbs spinning around him in a threatening manner. It was an intimidating sight, especially the stern glare that Naruto is leveling upon him. There was something about those eyes that gave him the shiver.

"Stop right there Sasuke. Me and Sakura already figured out the test. If you want to pass then you better get that stick out of your ass and listen." growled Naruto. There was no way that Sasuke's arrogance is going to make him fail this test. By hook or by crook, he is going to make the Uchiha see reason even if he has to drag him on the ground to do it.

Sasuke was shocked. Naruto never took that tone with him before and the threat was clear. The mild-mannered Naruto disappeared and on its wake is a powerful figure that demands his attention. Even his Kamigan was an intimidating sight. He swallowed his pride, for now, and nodded.

Naruto saw the quick change in Sasuke's demeanor so he released the bindings of earth then started to speak. "Good. Now, I found out the true meaning of Kakashi's test."

"But…but Kakashi said the only way to pass if for us to get the bells." stuttered Sakura. She still hasn't recovered from the shout and glare that Sasuke leveled on her. This was a different Sasuke, different from the one she admired from the Academy. She hadn't seen him this angry before and it was an experience that shook her down to her very bones.

Sasuke piped in, adding his two cents. "She's right dobe, and with only two bells, there is no way for three of us to pass." Naruto nodded.

"Correct but there are two things that both of you forgot from Iruka's lessons back in the Academy. One, since the conception of the village, it has always been a 4-man cell – one Jounin sensei and three Genins; and Two, you both forgot that shinobis are well-known for their deception."

"So?" said an irritated Sasuke.

"So, Kakashi sensei lied. Everything he told us reflects the test. One, he commanded us NOT to eat breakfast because he wants to weaken our mental strength through hunger. Two, there are only two bells which he is using to try to sow dissention among us, making us fight each other for the bells. Now try to compare that to what Iruka taught us back in the Academy. Its either Iruka lied to a bunch of potential future Genins of Konoha or Kakashi is lying to make us fail his test. Take your pick." explained Naruto.

Both Sakura and Sasuke were shocked over the deception involved in a simple test. They can't argue with the fact that the blonde was right in everything. If this is the case then…

"So this means that for us to pass, we need to work together…as a team. Right?" asked Sakura.

"Correct, even if we get the two bells, he will be forced to pass all three of us if he intends to follow the rules. And if memory serves me right, there is no way he can disregard a village law when it comes to these things."

"So what now?" asked Sasuke, wanting to get this show on the road. He would never admit it but he was never a strategist. He may be a prodigy but he prefers charging head on and fight in a straightforward fashion.

Naruto gave the two an evil smirk that scared the crap out of his teammates. "This is what we are going to do…"

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><p>Kakashi was waiting for his Genin team to attack him. He was currently sitting down on one of the logs in the clearing reading his orange book. Well, it was another copy of his book. Since Sasuke destroyed the one he brought along, he HAVE to do a quick stop to one of the bookstores in the village so he can get another copy. After all, he hasn't finished reading his precious yet. He was still mad at the Uchiha for destroying his <em>old<em> precious and he will pay. Yes, he will pay. He released a mental cackle that would easily put Kyuubi's to shame.

He was brought out of his mental tirade when Sasuke and Naruto burst out from the bushes heading straight for him. He released a mental smile at this. "_It seems that they are getting the point of the whole test." _

Sasuke burst out of the bushes with Naruto trailing behind him with his Kamigan activated. Their plan was quite simple - overwhelm Kakashi using direct attacks from Sasuke and elemental barrage from Naruto, as well as protect him from Kakashi's jutsus if possible. Sakura would lie in wait either to attack or take the opportunity of a distracted Kakashi to steal the bells.

Channeling chakra to his legs, courtesy of Naruto's advice while they were planning out their strategy, he sped at a sudden burst off speed that surprised Kakashi and lashed out with a chakra-enhanced punch that the Jounin blocked.

Kakashi winced when the hit connected with his arm. _"Shit, his attacks are stronger. How in the world did that happen?"_

Sasuke smirked seeing Kakashi wince from the attack. It seems that Naruto's advice was working. _"The dobe was right. My attacks are stronger if I channel chakra through my arms." _He thought. He would never admit it but Naruto was knowledgeable when it comes to chakra. He made a mental note to demand…er…ask the dobe in the future. Pressing his advantage, Sasuke continued releasing a barrage of punches and kicks, this time to hurt Kakashi to keep him distracted.

It seems that Kakashi learned his lesson. Instead of blocking, he was now dodging Sasuke's chakra-enhanced punches in desperation. Who could blame him? Those actually hurt.

Kakashi seeing that determined look in Sasuke's eyes lashed out with his own chakra-enhanced kick that threw dark-haired boy away from him. If he continued to dodge then one might get through and it would be detrimental to his health even if he blocked it. Seeing that it is time to throw the kid's glove off, he went through a couple of seals and released his attacks.

**WIND STYLE: AIR BULLET**

Three compressed balls of air flew from Kakashi's mouth and went straight towards Sasuke. It wasn't that powerful but it had enough chakra to knock him out. He missed the smirk that crossed Sasuke's face when a wall of earth seemed to shoot out in front of the ground in front of the crouching Uchiha that effectively protected him from the attack.

Naruto was ready when their sensei released his wind attack towards Sasuke. Sending his will towards his Elemental Orbs, a wall of earth shot out in front of Sasuke that prevented the wind attack from connecting. Pressing his advantage, he fired a medium-powered water bullet from his Water Orb that flew towards the Jounin.

Kakashi dodged the water projectile and cursed his predicament. Their teamwork was flawless and easily kept him on his toes. He was wondering where Sakura was and his role in the team but was cut off from his musings when he saw Sasuke jump over the wall that Naruto created and landed a powerful axe kick aimed at his head. He blocked it by crossing his hands over his head but the strength of the chakra-enhanced kick, as well as the gravity involved, made his knees tremble. _"Damn, these kids aren't playing around..." _his mental rambling was cut off when something impacted him in the stomach, a ball of compressed air similar to his own attack courtesy of a smirking Naruto.

Seeing their advantage, Naruto decided to take the next phase of the plan. "Now Sasuke!" he shouted to his teammate. Sasuke nodded and went through a familiar set of seals and bellowed out his attack.

**FIRE STYLE: GRAND FIREBALL**

When the attack materialized, Naruto released his own ball of wind and directed it at Sasuke's fireball. Instead of destroying it, the fireball and wind ball combined to create a roaring inferno of superheated flames making its way towards a shocked Kakashi.

"_Holy Kami. They combined their attacks. That fireball is now easily S-rank. Damn it, these kids aren't normal. Shit I have to disable Naruto now and take care of Sasuke afterwards."_ Kakashi mentally ranted. He teleported out of the way just before the fireball hit the ground he was standing on. The impact caused a massive shockwave that rocked the trees in the training ground and everyone felt the intense heat that came from it. He appeared behind Naruto holding a Kunai, easily bypassing his defense. "Surrender now Naruto." Kakashi commanded.

Hearing Kakashi's command to surrender, he smirked that the Jounin missed since he was standing behind him. "I don't think so Kakashi sensei." said Naruto in a playful voice then poofed out of existence.

"_Shit. Shadow Clone."_ He cursed then he heard something that made his skin crawl. He looked down to the ground and saw that it was littered with dozens of exploding tags. _"Double shit."_ he shunshined again before the tags exploded blowing dust everywhere.

Kakashi appeared a few feet away behind Sasuke. He was about to disable the said teen but he found himself unable to move. He looked down and saw that his feet and legs were encased in rocks that easily locked him in place. He was about to do another jutsu but his hands suddenly snapped to his side as wires suddenly wrapped him tight. While he was distracted, Sakura shot out of the bushes behind him and slashed at Kakashi's waist with her kunai, easily cutting off the bells from his belt and ran away to her teammates. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were looking at him with huge grins on their faces, well except Sasuke who just shot him an arrogant smirk.

Kakashi sighed. He was outwitted by rookie Genins. This won't look good on his resume. He looked at his team and gave them a smile. "Ok, you got me. The test is over since you already got the bell. Naruto, Sasuke, release me so we can proceed." instructed Kakashi.

Naruto willed the rocks on Kakashi's legs to fall back to the ground and created a wind blade to cut the wires off. "So Kakashi-sensei, what's the verdict?" asked Naruto, smile not leaving his face.

"Well, Sakura got the bells. So Sakura, who do you want to pass, Sasuke or Naruto?" asked Kakashi, hoping to test if they really got the reason for the test. This team has big potential and wouldn't want to fail them over a technicality.

Sakura just grinned and tossed one bell to Naruto and the other to Sasuke which both caught easily. "I will give them the bell sensei so they can pass."

"Are you sure?" prodded Kakashi.

"Yes sensei. I'm sure." insisted Sakura, smirk not leaving her face.

Kakashi sighed and looked at his new team. "Ok then…this means…you pass."

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><p><strong>This is my first major fight scene. I hope you like it. Please give me a review to see if you like it or not or if you have some advice for improvement or future battles. PLEASE REVIEW! ~~CorruptMonk<br>**


	13. Chapter 13 Being Genins

I would like to thank my readers. It warms my heart because:

Aug26-31 - **16,558 Hits** and **3,999 Visitors**

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><p><strong>To readers who gave me a positive review on my previous chapter, thank you. Keep 'em coming please. (REVIEW!)<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Again, and again, and again. Naruto is not mine. Kapeesh?<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Being Genins<strong>

It has been 3 days since they took Kakashi's test and became the new Team 7 of Konohagakure no Sato. Naruto was happy to say the least but not everything was going according to plan. For starters, the brief teamwork they had during the test was now a memory. Sakura was starting to look up to him though most of her attention is still with her infatuation with Sasuke, but what depressed Naruto is that everything he ever did to bring Sasuke out of his funk went straight into the trash bin.

Ever since he taught both Sasuke the chakra trick, the teen has been so obsessed in learning everything that Naruto knows. The alibi of "Clan Techniques" didn't even phase the young Uchiha. In fact, he keeps pestering him that he was an elite Uchiha so he should be happy to share ALL of his techniques with him. That was the time that Naruto's restraint over his temper loosened and Sasuke found out the hard way not to push when things aren't supposed to be pushed. He hoped that being blown away by a high-powered Wind technique and crashing body first into the river should teach him a lesson. _Hope_ being the keyword.

What amazed him, however, was Sakura not giving him an earful when doing that to her precious Sasuke-kun. That was a big improvement on her part. It was a small step but a step nonetheless towards improvement.

After the test, Kakashi gave them a brief lecture about teamwork. He brought them over to the memorial stone and explained its significance. It seems that their sensei's motto was centered around teamwork – _those who abandon their mission are trash, but those who abandon their teammates are worst than trash._

In truth, Naruto found that he liked the belief and swore to himself to follow it till his dying days.

Kakashi also gave them a brief lecture about their strengths and weakness. He first started with Sakura's fangirl tendency and how it would be detrimental to her health if she continued to do so. It affected her somewhat, as Naruto could tell, especially when she remembered what Sasuke did to her back in Training Ground 7 but it seems that her adoration for the dark-haired avenger was too strong. He guessed that it would take a life changing experience to get that thought out of her head.

Sasuke's evaluation went smoothly at first. Kakashi told him about his major strength being Ninjutsu and Taijutsu due to his training in Clan Techniques. He also mentioned that his temper and short-sightedness is not befitting of a ninja and it would get him in trouble. He advised him to learn about strategy in order to improve. However, it went straight down to hell when Kakashi mentioned Itachi again during the evaluation. Word of caution, never ever mention Itachi within Sasuke's hearing range if you want him to cooperate. It took a right hook and a blast of killer intent from their sensei before Sasuke went back to his usual brooding self.

When it came to him, however, Kakashi's evaluation was mostly basic. He observed that Naruto wouldn't need any jutsu since his Kamigan and Elemental Orbs were versatile in terms of attack and defense. The only advice he gave, that Naruto was thankful for, is to increase his overall speed and strength since there are other shinobis out there that could easily bring him down in that category alone. Naruto was thinking if he should tell Kakashi that he was wearing weight when they fought. He also promised Naruto to let him meet some of his friends who are well-known Kenjutsu masters. This made the blonde Genin giddy at the thought.

At the end of the evaluation, Kakashi proudly announced them as the new Team 7 and they should meet again in 3 days for both mission and training. When Sakura asked why the hiatus, Kakashi explained that he is going to use the break to come up with a training guide for each of them. Naruto was suspicious about the reason and thought that Kakashi just want to spend some time alone with his 'book'.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 3 DAYS AFTER PASSING GENIN TEST)<p>

Naruto woke up early for his meeting with the rest of the team in Training Ground 7. There's still 3 hours before the scheduled meeting but he want to go there early so he can get in some of his training routine done. He didn't want to slack off, especially now that he needs to improve since missions are around the corner. He ate a hearty breakfast that his clone prepared before taking a leisurely jog towards the training ground to warm him up.

He saw that he was alone when he got there so he ran some laps around the training ground, as well as did some push-ups and sit-ups. While he was doing said routine, he struck up a conversation with his tenant.

"_Hey Kyuubi, you awake?"_ he mentally shouted. A loud sleepy growl echoed in the corridors of his mind.

"_**Shut up! Why do you have to be so loud so early in the morning? Someone's trying to sleep here you know."**_ Kyuubi grouched. He noticed that the fox wasn't a morning person, or fox, but Naruto still did the same thing everyday just to aggravate him.

"_Sorry about that Kyuubi. Just want to ask you something?"_ apologized Naruto though not sounding apologetic at all.

"_**You were going to ask me if you can up your weights right?"**_ growled Kyuubi. Naruto got a mental image of the fox cleaning himself up using his tongue. Naruto shuddered at the image.

"_How did you know?"_

"_**Duh, I'm in your head dummy. You've been thinking about that for 3 days now so of course I know about it. And the answer to your question is no. I want you to maintain that weight for 2 more months so you won't be short for life."**_ Naruto took offense at that.

"_HEY! I'M NOT SHORT!"_ shouted Naruto, insulted at the thought of being told that he was short.

"_**STOP SHOUTING YOU IMBECILE!"**_ growled Kyuubi in a menacing voice,

"_Sorry."_ mumbled Naruto. _"Still, I'm not short…"_

Kyuubi just rolled his eyes at his container's sensitivity regarding his height. _**"Fine. But my order still stands. No increasing your weight for the next 2 months. Remind me again after then we will talk about it." **_With that, Kyuubi cut off the mental link with his container. Naruto grumbled about stingy foxes as he continued with his morning exercise.

After the last set, Naruto stood up and shook his body a bit to loosen up his muscles before he brought out Kazehime. He has been neglecting his prized sword in favor of practicing his 2-sword style with his Chakra Blades. Channeling a bit of chakra to his Tiger tattoo, the sword appeared in his hands with a small puff of smoke. He gripped the sword with his two hands and went into his Clan's Kenjutsu kata, flowing from one form to the other like water. Kazehime hummed in approval.

He decided to stop his Kenjutsu training after an hour and returned Kazehime back to his tattoo but he channeled a bit more chakra to it calling out his favorite training partners. A poof of smoke later, 3 medium-size tigers, similar to Kazetora's height, appeared in front of him.

The three tigers were Naruto's favorite training regimen. These three were known in their clan for their teamwork and Naruto used them to practice his dodging speed and reaction time. After all, who wouldn't want to dodge the sharp claws that these tigers have. Big paws equal big claws and the description alone is enough to give Naruto the incentive to dodge for his life.

Naruto greeted the 3 majestic summon in front of him. "Hi guys. Ready for some training?"

"**Ready as always Naruto-sama."** All three greeted back in perfect unison. Naruto mused that their speech also is part of their legendary teamwork.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Ever since he met these three, he's been trying hard to tell them to remove the 'sama' from their greeting but they wouldn't budge. He wouldn't give up though. "How many times have I told you guys not to do that?" said Naruto irritably.

One of the tigers, the lone female in the group, just cocked her head to the right and gave him an overly innocent look which looked really suspicious to Naruto. "Not to do what, Naruto-sama?" The other two tigers just gave him a fang-filled grin.

Naruto just gave up. He threw his hands in the air and gave the innocent-looking tigers a mock glare. "You know what, nevermind. Can we start training now?" After a nod from the three summons, they jumped into position surrounding Naruto and attacked.

Naruto was caught off guard by the sudden attack but immediately got his bearings then started to dodge. He swerved, ducked, jumped, and rolled to avoid the claws and fangs of each tiger but some of them he barely avoided which shredded parts of his robe. He was sure that they won't kill him but it was part of their deal to give at least a little bit of hurt as an added incentive.

Naruto and the 3 summons that he dubbed as the "Training Tigers" were enjoying their 'romp' when a loud scream made them tense and alert for a possible attack. They looked at the direction of the scream and saw Sakura looking at them pale as a sheet.

"NARUTO-BAKA! GET AWAY FROM THEM! THEY ARE GOING TO EAT YOU!" shouted Sakura who was slowly pulling out a kunai to protect herself just in case if they attack her.

The female tiger that just gave her an incredulous look and snorted. **"Please, I have better taste you know."**

"HEY!" shouted an indignant Naruto. He didn't fancy getting eaten of course but the idea that he tastes bad didn't sit well with the blonde Genin. The two male tigers were snickering but chose to shut up and gave him an innocent look when Naruto shot them a withering glare though you could still see the mirth dancing in their eyes despite the obvious fake façade.

Sakura was looking wide-eyed at the talking tiger. From the looks of it, she was about to either faint or bolt.

"Uhhhh Sakura, are you ok?" asked a concerned Naruto.

Sakura just shot him an incredulous look. "YOU'RE ASKING ME IF I'M OK? I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU IF YOU'RE OK! YOU'RE BEING ATTACKED BY 3 HUGE TIGERS!"

"Uhhhh Sakura, I'm not being attacked." defended Naruto. His defense was a bit off since his robe looks as if it came out of a warzone. The 'Training Tigers' were just listening to the conversation with an amused look. Sakura was about to burst when Naruto clamped his hand over her mouth to shut her up. "Calm down ok. Let me explain. Use your head for once, if they were dangerous then do you think that they should have attacked us by now?" he jerked his hand over to the tigers behind him to prove his point.

"If they are NOT attacking you then what were THEY doing making you look like that?" asked a skeptic Sakura as she pointed the state of his clothes. It's not everyday that you see your teammates almost getting mauled by three huge tigers. If he is not being attacked, she couldn't think of any other reason why they were doing what they just did in the first place.

"Training Sakura, Training. Those three are my friends. I called them my Training Tigers. Of course, they are Tiger summons." Naruto informed her.

"Wait, I thought you already have those bird thingies as summons." said Sakura. The tiger snickered at hearing the Legendary Phoenix clan being called bird-thingies.

"Hikari isn't a bird-thingy. She is a Phoenix from the Phoenix clan." said Naruto indignantly. "Well, they are birds but it is not polite to call them bird-thingies. And to answer your question, yes, they are also my summons. Actually I have three" He turned his back to an incredulous Sakura and faced the three snickering summons.

He gave them a glare. "Ok that is enough for today guys. I'll summon you next time for another round of dodge training. Thanks." The tigers bowed, releasing another round of snickers, before returning back to their realm. He looked back at Sakura and saw that she calmed down a bit when the tigers left. "So, why are you here? It's still an hour early before we are supposed to meet our sensei."

Sakura looked embarrassed and looked down. "Ummmm I was kinda hoping to come early to ask you something."

Naruto gave her a curious look. Sakura came here early to ask him something? Now this he got to hear. He took off his torn robe and sealed it on the storage seal on his left arm for repairs later when he gets home. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?" said Naruto as he flopped down on the grass.

"I-I was wondering if you can help me to get strong?" mumbled Sakura as she flopped down in front of Naruto who just gave her a long, calculating look.

"Hmmmm I can help you…" Naruto trailed off, Sakura perked up a bit "…but you have to tell me WHY you want to be strong."

"Ummmm I want to be strong so that Sasuke-kun would notice me." whispered Sakura. Naruto shook his head at her answer.

"No Sakura. I won't help you if that is your goal." sighed Naruto.

"Why? You're strong and the advice you gave us during the test helped us out. Why won't you help your teammates?" said Sakura who was near to tears. Naruto just gave her a calm look.

"Because Sakura, your motivation to become strong is not what a Kunoichi should be thinking. In fact, your motivation will only pull you down in the end. I can guarantee it. I WILL help you ONLY if you can tell me a good reason for me to do so. I will also tell Sasuke the same thing IF he asked me for help." He rose from the ground and dusted his pants. "Think about it Sakura. I'll leave you for now, I'll be back in time for our meeting." Without another words, he disappeared in a burst of flame leaving a teary eyed Sakura in his wake.

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><p>Naruto arrived exactly on time for the meeting but noticed that everyone was there except for Kakashi. He greeted a brooding Sasuke and a fawning Sakura. He shook his head. It seems that his advice to her fell on deaf ears.<p>

Kakashi arrived an hour later where Sakura again screeched at his lateness which he ignored easily. He beckoned the team to come closer and tossed each of them a scroll. He told them that each of those scroll contain their training regimen everyday before they go to missions. Naruto opened up his scroll and what he saw didn't impress him.

He was supposed to wear weights, which he already did. The assigned weights were measly 20-pounds on both hands and ankles while doing laps around the training field. He didn't know what the other's got for their training regimen but he didn't care. He told Kakashi that he will take care of the weights tomorrow and proceeded with the exercises stated on the scroll which consisted of running laps, push-ups, sit-ups, and the usual.

Kakashi called the training to a halt and directed them all to go to the Hokage tower for missions.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 2 MONTH LATER)<p>

Naruto was getting tired of his team real fast. True, Team 7 have great potential but if the current team camaraderie doesn't improve soon then he would have to take drastic measures. Sasuke was still as anti-social as ever and refused to participate in team exercises despite Kakashi's urging. Sakura, was, well, Sakura. It was obvious that she already forgot what they talked about a month back and continued to fawn over the Uchiha. What infuriated him the most was Hatake Kakashi, their Jounin sensei.

His preaching of equality and treating the team with importance seems to be just that…preaching. It was obvious during the training session with the team that he was focusing all his attention on the 'elite' Uchiha. He and Sakura were left alone during their training exercise while Kakashi and Sasuke moved to the woods for their training session. Naruto summoned one of the smallest phoenix at his disposal to keep an eye on them and the report he got was not amusing.

It seems that Kakashi was training Sasuke in various Ninjutsu and Taijutsu styles unlike his own or Sakura's. It was irksome that Kakashi was showing blatant favoritism within their team. He wasn't really concerned about his own training regimen since he have always been on his own with the resources he have back at home but it wasn't fair that he was leaving Sakura on her own devices without any advice or guidance. His respect for their sensei dropped a few pegs after that.

Also, the missions weren't spectacular for his taste. In fact, he wouldn't call them missions even if his life depended on it. They were more along the line of chores than anything else. Sure, he have known since the Academy days that D-Rank missions were chores around the village but knowing it and doing it are two different things. His hated mission was catching the Daimyo's cat, Tora. They are assigned to catch the damn cat three times a week. It was fine for the first week but a month of doing the same thing over and over again was making his patience run thin. He almost gave in to Kyuubi's idea of roasting the damn cat during said missions. Oh how he should have barbecued that demonic feline to get this over and done with.

Speaking of training, he discarded Kakashi's training exercise every morning through an ingenious use of Shadow Clones. He would go and meet his team and wait for Kakashi to leave them to their own devices. He would go into the woods, create a Shadow Clone, hand him the scroll that Kakashi gave him, then teleport back to his house for 'real' training. He accomplished a lot on his own.

For starters, he was able to improve his Fuuinjutsu studies by advancing to trap seals. He made two types of trap seals that stores projectiles and fires them when chakra is pumped into it. He made two kinds – one that fires in one direction that is definitely useful when facing an opponent and the other follows the theory of real traps when triggered, kunais or shurikens would be shot at different directions until it runs out.

He also trained with 3 summons. He was able to come up with various attacks and strategies that involved his Tiger, Dragons, and Phoenix summons. He would be using his Tiger summons for direct attacks and ambushes. Dragons are for overkill scenarios that requires mass damage. His Phoenix summon is used for aerial attacks and defense, and of course, they are quite useful to get from one place to the other.

His Kenjutsu training was also coming along well. He waited for Kakashi to introduce him to the 'masters' he was talking about but after 2 weeks of waiting, he went to the Hokage to ask for possible Kenjutsu sparring partners. He was introduced immediately to Gekko Hayate who agreed to teach and spar with Naruto an hour before dinner for 2 hours. Due to his sickness, he was given leeway regarding his duties in the village so he can spend some time with Naruto.

In one and a half months of sparring and lessons, Naruto's single and double sword style are now at intermediate level with a lot of room for improvement. During his time with Hayate, he also met his girlfriend, Uzuki Yuugao, who was drooling over Kazehime when he showed it to her. With her addition to the group, Naruto gained experience in fighting two sword-wielding opponents at the same time. His session with them always left him with a lot of cuts and bruises but the experience he gained from them was worth every blood he spilled during spars. He learned one important lesson though during his spar with the Kenjutsu Mistress. Never tell her that she is fat or else. The beating he got afterwards sent shivers down his spine. Even Kyuubi quailed a bit at the memory.

Last, but not the least, he improved his Chakra Manipulation to the point of increasing the speed in creating weapons out of his chakra. He can now produce any weapons he desired in less than a second, a great surprise attack if used properly.

Also, he improved his ultimate attack, the Elemental Drill. He was able to decrease the chakra consumption of the technique by making each elemental stream a little thinner through compression increasing their overall power and intensity – making the attack fast and more powerful by allowing it be focused at a single point instead of scattering the damage. The success was marked when his attack was able to easily pierce a 20-feet thick earth wall, along with the trees behind it.

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><p>Team 7 entered the Hokage office for another batch of D-rank mission. When the team entered, they saw Team 8 with Jounin sensei Yuuhi Kurenai, a red-faced Umino Iruka, and an amused Hokage. The scene was quite amusing to say the least.<p>

A livid Kiba was in front of an amused Hokage demanding better missions while Akamaru, Kiba's partner, was supporting his master with barks and yips. Kurenai was giving Kiba a look that promised a lot of pain later on, Hinata was looking down twirling her fingers in embarrassment, and Shino…well…Shino was still his usual stoic self. No surprise there.

Sarutobi saw Team 7 come in to the room and raised his hand that effectively shut Kiba up. "Ahhh Team 7, what brings you here? Another mission I presume?"

"Yes Hokage-sama. Team 7 would like to request a possible C-Rank mission since we already reached the quota of D-Ranks for it." requested Kakashi in a formal voice. This shocked the rest of Team 7. They were expecting another boring D-Rank but their sensei was going for a C-Rank.

"_I guess kakashi isn't as useless as I thought." _grumbled Naruto in his mind.

"_**At least he is good for something kit."**_ purred Kyuubi, excited that his container can get out of the village, even possibly slaughtering something along the way.

"_What got you so excited?"_ asked a suspicious Naruto.

"_**Oh nothing, nothing at all."**_ said Kyuubi innocently. Naruto saw a brief image of Kyuubi sitting down on his haunches sporting an innocent look on his face while his nine tails happily wagging behind him.

"_Really?"_ prodded Naruto.

"_**Yep Really.."**_ Kyuubi quickly replied before ending the communication between them. Naruto focused his attention to the outside world.

Sarutobi coughed to shut everyone up, especially a ranting Kiba. "Since both Team 7 and Team 8 are both requesting a C-Rank, I will be assigning both teams a joint C-Rank mission. Your mission would be to escort your client, the Bridge Builder Tazuna, back to Wave and protect him while he is finishing the construction of his bridge. This will be a long-term mission. Kakashi will be taking leadership of both teams seconded by Kurenai since he has seniority over her. The rest of you will follow their orders as befitting your station." He handed the mission scroll to Kakashi who accepted it lazily. "Any questions? None? Good. Iruka, bring the client in please."

Iruka opened the door and an old man wearing a dark green sleeveless shirt, loose brown pants, and a straw hat. His face looks ordinary enough with the grey beard and glasses - just your typical old man under a straw hat.

Tazuna entered the Hokage office and looked at the shinobis assigned to him. Naruto noticed that the old man was slightly drunk and smell lightly of booze. He crinkled his nose at the scent.

"What? These are my protection detail? Why bring the kids along, in fact, I don't even think that they are ninja's. Look at that kid, bringing his dog along or that shy girl. Is that pink-haired brat a ninja? What ninja has pink hair?" He looked at the amused Naruto. "Well, the blonde kid looks decent, I suppose though the emo-kid thre looks suicidal." Tazuna added last part when he spotted Sasuke brooding in the corner.

The insulted parties were looking at the client with clear rage in their eyes. Kiba was about to pounce on him but was held back by Kurenai who looked apologetically at Tazuna. "I apologize for my student Tazuna-san but I assure you, these 'kids' are proud Genins of Konoha and have skills that will surely protect you during our journey to your home."

Tazuna just grunted. "Well, I don't care as long as they do a good job. I want all of you to protect me with your life." He demanded to the shinobis in the room. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the declaration.

Kakashi nodded and faced the two Genin teams. "Ok everyone, we will be leaving in 3 hours. I want you all to go home and pack for a month-long mission just in case. Meet up at the Eastern Gate in 3 hours. Dismissed."

Everyone was about to leave through the door when Naruto spoke. "See you later jiji!" Naruto addressed the Hokage giving him a cheeky smile before disappearing in a burst of lightning which stunned everyone in the room. The Hokage just laughed at their reactions. Tazuna was impressed.

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><p>Naruto arrived in his house in burst of lightning. He was chuckling at that spectacular display of <em>Elemental Shunshin<em> in front of his sensei and peers. He knew that would leave a stunned group behind. He should ask the Hokage the description of their faces later when they got back from the mission. Shaking his head, he focused his thoughts in equipping himself properly for the mission.

After 10 minutes, Naruto entered the library/armory wearing his new battle gear. It was similar to his previous design but better. He is now sporting a black fishnet muscled shirt that definitely showed off his muscles, a dark grey robe with long sleeves that reached down to his wrist, and black cargo pants. He is no longer wearing his shuriken and kunai holsters. His Konoha headband still tied to his left bicep.

Instead of wearing his holsters, he wore two black fingerless gloves that are open on both the palms and at the back of his hands that revealed his storage seal on the left and the Tiger tattoo on the right. These two babies were more than just accessories; these two are the new addition to his armory.

The gloves were one of his pet projects on seals. He placed the single-direction trap seal on the knuckles on both gloves. The right glove contained his 500 custom-made mini kunais that is perfect as a high-speed projectile. The left were the standard shurikens. Both offer a comfortable grip for wielding a sword and the inner part of the glove was lined with chakra-conductive wires that will compliment his Chakra Manipulation skills.

Also, as an added feature, he had a seal on the inside of both gloves that will automatically create a sizable Chakra Shield of his own design using his bloodline. When both gloves are placed together, the separate seals will form a single powerful seal that will automatically create a dome of chakra 10-feet in diameter with him at the center. The shield is as powerful as his Chakra Control. At his current level, he can keep the shield up for 5 minutes before wavering. Separately, each glove can create a 2-foot circular shield on top of his glove that is great for instant defense. It was inferior to his Kamigan defense but its better safe than sorry, especially when he runs out of chakra.

He created this secondary defense scheme since an activated Kamigan can drain a lot of his chakra. At maximum, he can hold his Kamigan active and in full use for a full 2 hours.

He stored the usual mission rations, as well some reload kunais and shurikens on his storage seals and placed the paper version of both trap seals in the inner pocket on his robe. To put it simply, he was armed and dangerous.

Realizing that he still have 2 hours to kill before meeting the teams, he went down to the kitchen to fix himself a light lunch and lounged around. When it was time to go, he placed his hand on the mantle on top of the fireplace to activate the house's protection. He will be away for who knows how long so he wants to make sure that his Clan house is protected despite the outer defense that his dad left behind.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 3 HOURS LATER)<p>

Naruto arrived exactly on time at the Western Gate to meet his team. He appeared in front of his team with his new _Lighting Shunshin_ that shocked the group, no pun intended. He saw that everyone was there, including the always-tardy Hatake Kakashi. The females in the group, however, were sporting a different form of shock upon his appearance.

Hinata saw Naruto arrive with a spectacular entrance but she blushed furiously when she saw Naruto's muscled chest and abs. She was fighting a loosing battle between fainting or release a large nosebleed. _"Must not faint….must…not…faint…."_ she chanted mentally.

Sakura blushed when she saw Naruto's muscles. _"Damn, I didn't know he was hiding those." _thought Sakura but automatically saying that Sasuke was still more built than the blonde.

Kurenai saw Naruto appear and her eyes bulge at the sight. _"Shit. He looks just like his father. Look at those muscles. This kid will be a heartbreaker with the ladies in the future."_

As always, Naruto was oblivious to the female's reaction but Kyuubi noticed this and snickered.

"Hi guys. Hope I didn't make you wait." Naruto greeted everyone cheerfully.

"No, you're just in time. Kakashi and Tazuna-san just arrived." replied Kurenai, effectively holding down a blush but was fighting hard not to keep a close eye on those muscles.

Naruto joined the group but not before Sasuke noticed that he didn't bring any packs along like the rest of teams. "Hey dobe, don't tell me you forgot to bring your pack along." he mocked the blonde.

Naruto just gave him a look and raised his left hand showing his storage seal. "I got everything right here." indicating the seal with his right finger.

"You know seals?" asked Kakashi in a stunned voice.

"Of course. Dad left a lot of notes on seals back in our Clan Library. I've been studying them for almost 2 years now. I won't say I'm a master but I get by."

"Prove it dobe." said an arrogant Sasuke, not believing a word of the blonde's knowledge on seals.

He looked around and saw that everyone was looking at him, expectant of his demonstration.

He sighed and raised his right hand, palm out facing 3-feet in front of him and channeled chakra through his storage seal while willing all the items to come out. A large puff of smoke later, the entire content of the storage seal was laid out for everyone to see.

Mounds of shurikens and kunais all laid in their respective group, 2 outdoor tents, 4 sleeping bags, 3 medium-sized boxes of food rations, and of course, a bunch of other equipments, like inks, blank scrolls, and some spare clothes. He looked at the dumbfounded group. "Well, enough demonstration for you?"

"Naruto, what are all those?" stuttered Sakura.

"Kakashi-_sensei_ mentioned to pack for a month so I did. I packed extra just in case some of you run out of something so it's better to be safe than sorry. I have the liberty to bring as much as I can since I'm not encumbered by the weight. Also, I have enough chakra at my disposal to store unlimited items in a single seal without any repercussion." explained Naruto. Everyone accepted the explanation easily but Kurenai noted the slight change in tone when he mentioned Kakashi's name. She filed it at the back of his mind for later.

"But, how in the world did you have a storage seal on your arm, that's not supposed to be possible. Also, no seal in existence can store multiple items at once." half-shouted Kurenai in astonishment.

"Of course you wouldn't know about it. This is one of the prototype seals that my dad made. It is one of his pet projects – he was checking out how Summoning Scrolls work and made a few sketches on skin-based seals. I finished it and now it is safe to use."

"Do you think you can give us a copy of those seals? That would make it very convenient for the rest of the team." asked Kakashi seeing the huge advantage of having such seals on his person. He knew that Minato was a seal master and it seems that he passed his expertise to his son.

"Sorry Kakashi-sensei. Hokage-jiji told me to hold on to the design since this is part of Konoha's secrets. If the design gets out then our enemies might take advantage of it. If you want, you can ask jiji if I'm allowed to graft a seal on your skin but I can't make any promises." explained Naruto. He wasn't worried that the Hokage would give permission since they already decided on the alibi when those who know about it will ask for it. Those who ask will be automatically turned down, nicely of course.

Everyone in the team was looking at Naruto in a new light, except for Sasuke and Sakura of course. Sasuke was seething with jealousy at what Naruto was capable off and he was afraid of asking the blonde to give him his techniques. The fight they had at the training ground was still fresh in his mind so he just gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut.

Naruto, seeing that everyone was happy with the demonstration, channeled a large amount of chakra to his storage seal while pointing his left hand at his supplies. A large puff of smoke later, the supplies left the ground and tucked safely away inside his seal. "So, are we ready to go?"

Kakashi nodded. "Ok team, I'm going to ask everyone to take defensive points with Tazuna-san in the middle. Hinata and Kiba will take point since they can easily detect incoming dangers with their bloodline. Shino and Sakura will place themselves beside Tazuna-san in the middle for protection. Naruto take left and Sasuke gets right. Kurenai and me will lag behind the group to provide support if necessary. Ok everyone, let's go."

Team 7 and 8 took their designated positions and left Konoha towards Wave. He didn't know it but Naruto's adventure just started and his name will start to spread all over the Elemental Country – for good or for ill.


	14. Chapter 14 Sojourn to Wave

**Reviews Feedback:**

**To bankai777:** yes, we have the same concept when it comes to Sasuke's view regarding his bloodline. I love that you quoted Zoids. One of my favorite anime/cartoon evah!

**To Kyuubi No Tensh:** (bows) **giggle**

**To JAIMOL:** According to the resident psychologist (my sister), people with mentalities like Sasuke tend to be unchangeable. The mental trauma plus the arrogance, plus bending reality to their belief is mostly cureless. (Lots of heavy words there…dizzy)

**To pegpiri:** I'm not sure if will stay or leave but I'll get there though. (Sorry, you won't get any spoilers from me… uh uhh.)

**To puma1sunfire:** Thanks for the review. I'm happy that you haven't found any problems with my work (if there are problems probably there are just well hidden **wink wink**)

**To CJ Snow & Dreadful-life20:** Yes, Kakashi's change in attitude from what Naruto knew him when he was Dog is an eye opener isn't it? Don't worry its part of the story. Kakashi's change in attitude would reflect Sasuke's plot later on. All I can say that he has his reasons and it is connection to the Canon. **wink wink**

**To david9999 (Dominic):** I haven't really thought about friendship at this stage but all I can promise that things would develop in this new chapter.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Corruptmonk was dodging bullets aimed at him by the rampaging mob of police. He hid himself beside an abandoned warehouse while shooting from his GATTLING GUN while yelling. "I DONT OWN NARUTO I TELL YOU! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME!" then released another burst of bullets that hit the fuel tank of a police car that blew it up to smithereens. "BWAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA"<br>**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Sojourn to Wave<strong>

Its Naruto's first time to ever leave the village and to be quite frank, he was sorely disappointed. There was nothing to see except trees, lots and lots of trees. At first, he was quite excited to exit the Western Gate of Konoha with the rest of Team 7 and 8, however, after a few miles of walking, the sight of huge trees left more to be desired.

Naruto was bored as hell as they traversed through the visible path towards Wave Country with their client. After the momentary excitement has passed, his mind clicked back to the mission at hand. True, this was a simple escort mission but the gut feeling he has been having since he met Tazuna was bothering him. After all his years of experience running from the mobs of Konoha, not following his gut feeling was hazardous to one's health…especially his.

His eyes strayed to his current teammates as they trudged through the dusty path. It hasn't rained for quite a while so the road was not hampered with mud or puddles. Up ahead, Hinata and Kiba was busy talking to each other as they walked. He noticed that Hinata was activating her Byakugan from time to time to check out the path ahead. Kiba, along with Akamaru on his head was sniffing the air to detect if there were unnatural scents that are mostly related to hidden attackers.

Next on his vision were Shino and Sakura in the middle of the defensive group. Sakura was still the same, no change there. He shook his head thinking about their past conversation in Training Ground 7. She was definitely a talented Kunoichi of the Leaf but her current mental state has hampered her improvement in the Shinobi Arts to an almost zero. If she doesn't correct herself soon then she would find herself in a compromising position that would easily end her life.

Shino, on the other hand, was the epitome of Shinobi stoicism. In all his age group, only Shino is able to hide his emotions with such intensity that it was scary. But don't let his seeming inattentiveness fool you, the eyes behind those dark glasses see a lot and the addition of the Aburame Logic makes him a deadly Shinobi. One thing that interested Naruto with the teen is his family's connection with insects. He found some reference in his Clan's Library about the secretive Aburames but not enough to give him a complete description.

After his brief glance of the insect user, he was able to spot the brooding Sasuke on the far right of the defensive position. He was confused with the dark-haired teen. True, his family and clan was murdered in front of his eyes by his very own brother, but it shouldn't spur him to the point of destroying his humanity and change it to a monster that craved for only power for the sake of revenge. He tried, oh he definitely tried to change the Uchiha but it seems that whatever he said fell on deaf ears. He shrugged his shoulders and let his thoughts stray to the two Jounin that comprised the back of the group.

Hatake Kakashi, a man that confused Naruto to no ends. What happened to the happy-go-lucky Dog that he knew when he was still in ANBU? Why did he suddenly deviate from his chosen code and dropped the bomb called favoritism for the Uchiha. It was a mystery that he intended to find out.

Last, definitely not the least, is the very mysterious Yuuhi Kurenai, the Genjutsu Mistress of Konohagakure no Sato. Among the Jounins of Konoha, she was the weakest in terms of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, but her Genjutsu skills was on par with the Kurama Clan that is well known for the bloodline of turning illusions into reality. To put it simply, her skills can be summarized to letting you see something else then you die. He was intrigued of her skills and wanted to ask her for some advice but he knew when there is something that no amount of study and hardwork can he ever hope to compete. Kyuubi's chakra is simply too potent for him to make use of illusions.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a shout from Hinata. When he came back to reality, he sensed something behind him and looked back. He saw two figures jump out of the puddle that he didn't notice earlier and wrapped their senseis tightly in chains that is connected to both of their claw-like metallic arms, linking them together.

"Two down…" said one of the figures then yanked on the chain that sliced up their Jounin senseis into bits of cloth, blood, and flesh.

"Kakashi-sensei! Kurenai-sensei" shouted Sakura as she saw her powerful Jounin instructor getting torn to shreds. She immediately froze upon seeing the bloody results of the attack, the client standing forgotten to her side.

"More to go…" the other echoed his partner then both dashed towards Tazuna. The team spurned into action.

Naruto immediately raised his right arm and channeled chakra to his right glove in continuous burst releasing a rapid fire of shurikens towards the two dark figures intent to slow them down.

The two figures saw the incoming projectile but were able to dodge it by jumping to the right. Shino released his bugs when he saw that the attackers were nearing Tazuna and their position, giving them a silent command to drain their chakra upon contact.

However, the attackers noticed the gathering swarm immediately and one of them threw a couple of shurikens towards Shino who was surprised by the sudden attack then threw himself to the side while tackling Tazuna in the process since his evasion might possible hit the client with the stray projectile. This threw Shino off balance and insect swarm disregard the command to attack in favor of protecting their master.

Naruto acted quickly and launched a kunai that hit one of the holes in one of the links connecting them together and stuck the two of them to a tree. Sasuke mimicked the action and threw his own shuriken which further trapped the two in their place.

The attackers tugged on the chain and saw that it was stuck tight. They were about to disengage their link when Sasuke grabbed both their clawed arms, spun, then released a double mule kick that launched them to the air. It was an impressive display but it has specific drawback. The force of the kick was so strong that it threw the attackers up and forcefully breaking the chain from the kunai and shuriken that held it in place.

"Great work idiot. Now you just made our problems twice as hard." grunted Naruto as he created a Chakra Blade for the imminent attack.

"Hnn" was all he got from the Uchiha Prodigy who was a few feet away from him to his left. Naruto shook his head and focused his attentions to their opponents.

The two attackers noticed that they were free in mid-air so they used their own bodies to jump to the sides displaying great teamwork and body coordination. One of the attackers went straight for Tazuna while the others were heading right for Naruto.

Hinata saw one of the attackers heading straight for their client. At a glance, she saw Sakura freeze so she dashed forward, placing herself in front of the client and went down to her Juken stance. When the attacker got in range, she attacked with everything she had, throwing jabs, palm thrusts, and swipes in hopes to land a blow and incapacitate her attacker.

Unfortunately for her, the attacker was a level above their own and was able to dodge her attempts easily. She made a mistake of overextending one of her palm thrusts and was about to pay for it when a shout of "GATSUUGA" saved her.

Kiba, seeing Hinata was about to be killed, crouched down and jumped forward, spinning while yelling "GATSUUGA". The drill-like attack hit the Hinata's attacker while he was about to swipe her with his metallic claws, hitting him on the side hard that threw him off the side. Kiba recovered and immediately crouched down in front of Hinata in a defensive position. Akamaru caught up with his partners and stayed on his side, growling a warning.

Naruto's Chakra Blade clanged harmlessly with the attacker's clawed hand. Both were grunting with the effort to push the other back to no avail. Despite Naruto's extreme physical workout, his strength was still that of a 12-year old boy but he was able to hold it with someone having a much larger frame than himself.

As both strove for dominance, Sasuke stole an overhead kicked to the attacker's head that threw him back. Unfortunately, this sudden attack also caught Naruto by surprise. He yelped when the opposing force disappeared and fell forward face-first on the ground. He grunted and pushed himself off the floor and glared at the culprit.

"You fool. What did you do that for?" growled Naruto.

"I just took the chance to attack dobe. It wasn't my fault that you were in my way." said Sasuke with an arrogant smirk. Naruto lost it there and then. He growled and picked himself off the floor. He was mad. Oh he was really mad.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted that stunned everyone, including the two attackers who were partially stunned on the ground. Naruto growled and activated his Kamigan. His Elemental Orbs materialized and furiously spun around him. He was indeed a sight to behold. An invisible wind whipped through his robe, causing it to flap uncontrollably. His eyes were the scariest. When everyone saw it, they froze. The reverse star on Naruto's eyes was now spinning madly to reflect its master's rage.

Naruto threw his arms out, both pointing to each of the attacker. Two whip-like appendages burst forth from the Water Orb and shot straight to the downed attackers. It wrapped around them like furious tentacles and lifted them off the ground and willed both figures to float in front of him. With another growl, he threw both of them forward to crash headfirst into a tree.

Naruto raised his right hand and immediately closed it to form a fist. Earth floated up from the ground and launched itself towards the stunned attackers, effectively enclosing them in with dirt and rocks. After a blast of water and fire later, the attackers were now enclosed in hardened clay around their bodies, effectively cutting off any means of escape.

Seeing that his job was done, he turned his furious gaze went over to Sasuke who was shivering in fear. He released a rumbling growland willed another whip that surrounded Sasuke and froze him on the spot. He stomped towards the shivering Uchiha

"YOU IDIOT! FOR ONCE IN YOU LIFE STOP BEING AN ARROGANT DICK AND BE A SHINOBI FOR KAMI'S SAKE. YOU KNEW THAT I WAS IN A STAND-OFF WITH MY OPPONENT. YOU CAN EASILY KICK HIM TO THE SIDE OR YOU CAN EASILY WARN ME OF YOUR ATTACK. BUT NO! YOU HAVE TO USE THAT IDIOTIC UCHIHA BRAIN OF YOURS AND RESORT TO BRAVADO THAT COULD HAVE PUT YOUR TEAMMATES TO THEIR DEATH! IF YOU DO THIS ONE MORE TIME IN MY PRESENCE, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT NO UCHIHA WILL BE LEFT IN KONOHA! BY KAMI I SWEAR IT!" With a growl, he threw the Uchiha with such force that he ended up 20 feet away from his position, landing face-first on the ground and skidding before coming to a halt.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm him down. He closed his eyes and deactivated his Kamigan. He continued breathing in and out for a couple of seconds before he was calm enough to be rational again. When he opened his eyes, he almost laughed out loud at the expression on his teammates face.

Both Kakashi and Kurenai who _supposedly_ died were standing in front of a large bush with mouth gaping open, shocked even to say anything.

Kiba was looking at Naruto like he was a god, both awe and fear on his face. _"Mental note: don't make Naruto mad."_ was his thoughts repeating over and over again. Akamaru was on the ground whimpering behind Kiba's legs.

Hinata was flushing like mad. Naruto with his bloodline active and taking charge was definitely something she wanted to see again. _"Naruto-kun…no…must…not…faint…."_

Sakura, as always, gaped at what Naruto did to her crush before running towards he fallen Uchiha to see if he was ok. She didn't even yell at him.

Shino, well Shino just have one of his eyebrows raised. Typical Aburame. However, his bugs were buzzing in his body and under his coat telling him one thing _"Don't you DARE make that boy mad at you!"_

Tazuna was looking at him as if he was the savior of mankind. _"With this kid guarding me, Gato's going down. Yep, He's going down."_

In an act that would purely categorize him as a son of Kushina to those who knew her, Naruto scratched the back of his head in total embarrassment. "Sorry about that. I guess I lost my temper there for a bit."

That snapped everyone back to their coherent thoughts.

"Uhh good job everyone, especially you Naruto." Kakashi complimented in a subdued voice before interrogating the captured Nins.

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><p>After interrogating the prisoners, Kakashi and Kurenai was able to find out that these two were the Demon Brothers, Missing Nin of Kirigakure. According to them, they were both hired by Gato to kill Tazuna before he can reach Wave and complete the bridge. Tazuna, who was now caught in the act of lying about the mission parameter was explaining to Kakashi why he did it.<p>

"I had no choice. I have to hire shinobis to protect me while I finish the bridge. It is my country's only hope." explained a desperate Tazuna. He was sweating bullets because all the shinobis were looking at him.

"Why did you lie about the mission ranking? That could have jeopardized everyone on the team." said Kurenai heatedly.

"Again, I have no choice. Wave Country is bled dry of all its finances because of Gato. We only have enough money for a C-Rank mission." stuttered Tazuna, now kneeling on the ground, praying for their mercy to go ahead with the mission. "You are my country's only hope."

Kakashi sighed, he really hated being in this kind of position. "I'm not sure if we should continue the mission. This is definitely a breach in protocol. If the Demon Brothers are any indication, we will be facing stronger shinobis when we reach Wave. Considering that the Demon Brothers are easily Chunnin rank, it is quite possible we will be facing a Jounin rank Missing Nin once we reach our destination."

"Please! You have to help me! We don't have anyone else to turn to." wailed Tazuna.

"This is out of my hands Tazuna-san. Only the Hokage can order us to continue the mission or not…"

Naruto interrupted his sensei. "Not quite Kakashi-sensei. What if we make camp and get word to the old man…er…the Hokage about the change in mission. We can send him a message, wait for it and see what he decides. What do you think?"

Kakashi thought about it for a second. "I'm not sure Naruto. We don't have any means to send any message to Hokage-sama."

Naruto held up his hand. "But what IF we have a means to send a message to the Hokage and get a reply in a matter of hours. Would you write the message?"

"Well if that is the case then yes. I will write a report and send it to the Hokage and we can wait for his reply whether to continue the mission or not."

"Good. Why don't you write the message, I'll take care of sending it to the old man." said Naruto with a grin.

"And how are you supposed to do that?" this time, Kurenai asked with a curious tone in her voice.

"Trust me. Can you write the report now Kakashi-sensei?" directing the question to the one-eyed Jounin who nodded and fished out a blank scroll, ink, and brush from his pack and proceeded to write the message. After a few minutes, Kakashi finished and handed the sealed scroll to the blonde genin.

Naruto raised his right arm and channeled some chakra to his Phoenix tattoo. A flash of flame later, a marvelous yellow-plumbed phoenix appeared on Naruto's outstretched arms. The said bird checked its surroundings before looking at its summoner. **"Hiyah Naruto-kun! Long time no see. What do you need?"**

"Hiyah Rei, can you do me a favor? Can you bring this message to the old man real quick and wait for his reply? We need it as fast as possible." Naruto asked the phoenix.

"**Sure. No problem. But…do you have some candy with you?" **the young Phoenix chirped excitedly. Naruto sweatdropped. Great! Another sweets-addicted Phoenix. The entire clan has gone mad.

"Uhhhh…" he looked around at his stunned teammates and sensei. "Anyone has any candy for my friend here?" pointing to the waiting Phoenix who was making herself adorable in hopes to get more than one candy.

The guys in the group shrugged in negative. Hinata, however, blushed and brought out a chocolate-covered candy from her pocket and handed it to Naruto, who raised an eyebrow at the furiously blushing girl before unwrapping the candy and handing it to the thrilling bird who gobbled it up with a happy squack.

"**Thanks, that was de-li-ciouuuuuuus."** crowed the bird who took the scroll using her talons and disappeared in a burst of yellow-orange flames.

Naruto shook his head. "Ever since I introduced candy to the Phoenix clan, they are all addicted to the thing. I shudder to think the amount of candy I would need if the boss summon would ask the same thing." He looked at his stunned teammates and Kurenai. Kakashi was just giving him an eye smile since he already knew that Naruto is able to summon the Phoenix. "What?"

"Naruto, what was that?" asked a stunned Kurenai.

"Oh. I forgot. That was one of my summons from the Phoenix Clan. Her name is Rei, part of the group who is known for delivering quick messages."

"Wait a minute, Sakura told me that you can also summon tigers." asked Kakashi. Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy. However, Naruto was giving Sakura a glare who managed to look sheepish for telling her sensei of Naruto's other summon. Naruto sighed.

"Fine. I have the contract for the Phoenix and Tiger Clans. I also have the Dragon Clan as part of my summons since it is a part of my inheritance from the Uzumaki Clan." explained an exasperated Naruto.

"WHAT! YOU HAVE THREE SUMMONS?" yelled a shock Kurenai. Everyone else was also shocked at the revelation. Sure, one summon was outstanding but three summons? Incredible!

"Uhhh yeah? Is there a problem with that?" asked Naruto, giving them all a questioning look.

"Err no. Just shocked that's all. Maybe we should start to make camp while we wait for that bird of yours." instructed the red-eyed Jounin. Everyone nodded and went into the woods to look for a place to set up camp.

Kiba was able to find a good-sized clearing a few meters away from the road with the help of Akamaru. Everyone pitched in to help and Naruto have to take out his spare tent and sleeping bag from his storage seal for Tazuna.

Rei suddenly appeared in front of Naruto floating in mid-air as he was relaxing on a log and dropped the scroll that she got from the Hokage. **"Anything else Naruto-kun?"** thrilled Rei towards her summoner.

"Nope. That is enough for now. Thanks a bunch Rei. I'll make sure I bring sweets when I summon you and your clan."

"**You're always welcome Naruto-kun. Make sure that you get the one that you gave me. I never knew chocolate was sooooo gooooood. Don't be a stranger now."** said Rei as farewell and flared back to her home in the Summoning Realm.

Naruto picked up the scroll from his lap and threw it to his Jounin-sensei who opened it and read the instructions from the Hokage. He passed the scroll to Kurenai for her to read before addressing Tazuna. "You're lucky Tazuna-san. That Hokage gave us permission to continue the mission."

After hearing this, Tazuna gave a sigh of relief and thanked everyone. His country is saved.

Kakashi continued. "Ok everyone. Hokage-sama gave us new mission parameters. For your information, the mission is now boosted from C-Rank to A-Rank with potential S-Rank depending on the Missing Nins we will be encountering on the mission." The news shocked everyone. They all realized that they just went out of the playground and into the real world of shinobis. This is starting to get serious. "We are going to break camp in the morning and make our way to Wave as fast as we can. Our order is to neutralize any hostilities we encounter. Understood?"

After getting an affirmative from everyone on the team, they continued organizing their camp site, decided on watch shifts, then rested for a hard day tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 15 Clash of the Demons

**Disclaimer: Again, I'm running out of ideas so I'll just say that I don't own Naruto. Not now, not ever.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Clash of the Demons<strong>

Team 7 and 8 broke camp an hour after dawn to resume their trek towards Wave. Naruto slept well last night at his own tent but was woken up 3 hours before dawn by Kurenai for his turn to watch the camp. It wouldn't haven so bad but being partnered with a much brooding Sasuke almost forced him to pull his hairs off. He made a mental note NOT to draw sticks again for watching the camp. However, it didn't bother him too much since the Uchiha kept quiet for the rest of the shift but the wave of jealousy and anger wafting off him definitely made him tense.

The teams from Konoha was able to reach the heavily-misted shore of Hi no Kuni where they were supposed to take a secret boat ride from one of Tazuna's contacts to bring them to Wave. The only problem that Naruto saw out of the whole thing was that there is only ONE boat.

"Tazuna, I thought we agreed that you will only be taking 4 people with you. My boat can only 5 people including you. And I'm not risking my life to return for the next batch." the boatman said in a small voice.

"Come on Genji, make it a favor for me?" begged the bridge builder.

"No. I'm already risking my neck granting you passage towards Wave. If Gato finds out then I'll be sinked before I yell for help." the boatman adamantly refused.

Tazuna sighed. He turned to the Konoha shinobis. "I guess that's that. 4 of you will take the boat with me while the other would take find a way to cross."

Kakashi paused while thinking about his options. "We can always Water Walk to Wave but from the group, only me and Kurenai can do…" he was interrupted by a cough from Naruto. "Yes Naruto?"

"I can do Water Walk Kakashi-sensei." admitted Naruto. He saw that Sasuke was about to retort so he jumped on top of the water to demonstrate that he can do so. That shut the Uchiha up. "See?"

Kakashi coughed. "Ok, three of us can walk to Wave but that still leaves us one who won't be able to cross. I guess we can piggy back. So who…" This time, Kakashi was interrupted by a small splash. He sweatdropped when he saw that Sasuke and Sakura was already on the boat. "I guess that solved part of the problem. So who wants to piggy back?" he gave everyone on the shore an eye smile while Kurenai just rolled her eyes at his co-Jounin's attempt at a joke.

"Uhh Kakashi-sensei. Why don't YOU decide who will go on the boat while I will take care of the rest of those who are left." advised Naruto who was giving the misty waters a speculative look.

"What have you got in mind Naruto?" asked Kakashi, sighing that his student will be pulling another miracle from his rhetorical hat.

"Trust me." Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Really, trust me. Just pick who goes on the boat then I'll take care of the rest."

"Fine. At least there should be one Jounin on the boat to protect Tazuna on the way to Wave. So since Sasuke and Sakura VOLUNTEERED themselves on the boat, I guess either me or Kurenai will be riding along with…uhhh….Shino. Yes, Shino. We need at least one tracker out there that can scout in advance." instructed Kakashi in a dubious voice.

"Why don't you take the boat Kakashi with Shino. I'll stay with Naruto for whatever he needs to do to get us to Wave." quipped Kurenai who immediately volunteered to join Naruto since she was curious what the blonde was up to.

"Sure. Well, come on Shino." Kakashi beckoned to the quiet Aburame. Both boarded the boat where the boatman pushed it off from the shore and waited for Naruto's group to follow them before pulling out.

Naruto saw that the first group was ready, he looked at Kurenai with a speculative eye. "Tell me Kurenai-sensei, are you afraid of heights?"

Confused at the question, Kurenai decided to answer the blonde enigma honestly. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am afraid of heights. There something about empty air that creeps me out."

Naruto nodded at the honest answer. "Ok here we go. We will be FLOATING beside the boat. So… here goes." He faced the water and channeled chakra to his tattoo while thinking of a particular Dragon that loved to swim. A large puff of smoke later, a large green Dragon appeared on top of the water just a few feet beside the boat, where everyone yelped in surprise.

"**Naruto-sama. Finally you called for me."** the dragon noticed the wet location he materialized from. **"Perfect. You know I loved to swim."** the large green dragon punctuated his happiness by splashing his tail on the water which caused medium-sized waves to appear and rocked the boat making Sakura turning green from motion sickness.

"Hiyah Ryuto. You're welcome. I immediately thought of you when a problem presented itself. Can you take us to Wave Country? All you need is to follow the boat." Naruto addressed the large green dragon while pointing at the boat beside him.

Ryuto swerved his head to the side and saw the boat and its trembling occupants. He nodded and looked back to Naruto. **"Sure thing Naruto-sama. So who will be coming along for the ride?"**

Naruto gestured Kurenai, Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru who was trembling inside Kiba's jackets when the Dragon materialized in front of them. "You think you can handle the weight?"

"**Psssh easy. Climb aboard."** snorted the Dragon before pulling closer to the shore and placed his massive head on the beach. **"Well come on. I want to go for a swim."**

Naruto gestured his dumbfounded teammates to get on board. Seeing their scared looks, he rolled his eyes and jumped on top of Ryuto and settled down on the nook in between his eyes. "Aren't you coming?" invited Naruto while giving the team left on the shore a cheeky green.

Kurenai reluctantly followed and jumped up on the dragon's head. She immediately noticed that the scales were hard as if she was standing on solid ground. He beckoned Hinata and Kiba to tell them it was safe. Both followed their sensei and jumped on board as well.

Naruto, seeing that everyone was ready, looked at the stunned boatman. "Everything's ready Mr. Boatman sir. You go first then we'll follow."

Genji just nodded his head and rowed the boat away from the shore and towards wave. Naruto patted Ryuto head to signal him to follow the boat, which he did.

The ride was relatively quiet for both the teams on the both and the ones on the dragon. After half-an-hour of travel, Naruto saw the outline of the bridge that Tazuna was building and it was huge.

Naruto looked over to the boat and saw that Tazuna was busy talking to Kakashi about Gato's activity in Wave. He also noticed that Sakura was eyeing Hinata and Kiba a jealous look, possibly thinking that she shouldn't have followed Sasuke in boarding the vessel so she could join Naruto on his dragon. As usual, Sasuke was brooding but not casting him some angry and jealous looks once in a while. Naruto was just amused at the two.

"Hey Tazuna. The bridge you are building is huge." Naruto comment over the water towards Tazuna.

"Aye Gaki. That bridge is my masterpiece and once it is completed, it will save everyone in Wave and liberate us from Gato's clutches." Tazuna declared with his newly-rekindled determination.

"Don't worry Tazuna-san. We will help you finish the bridge." said Naruto which made the old man relax thinking that he was in good hands with this team.

"So Naruto, what can you tell me about the Dragon Clan? You mentioned earlier that it is an Uzumaki Clan summon." asked Kurenai, her voiced laced with innocent curiosity.

"Yep. I found the scrolls for my summons in my Clan's library. Jiji told me that my mom must have acquired the other two contracts during her tenure as a Leaf Shinobi." explained Naruto.

"Jiji?"

"Oh, you know him as old man Hokage." replied Naruto. Kurenai just gave him a look of admiration.

"You got balls of steel kid, I'll tell you that. Not many got the courage to call Hokage-sama the way you do."

Naruto just waved his hands at the Jounin's comment. "Nah. As far as I can remember, I always call him jiji or old man. After all, I treat him as a grandfather and he told me that I am his surrogate grandson. I guess that is my way of showing him my respect." explained Naruto with a gentle smile on his face that made Kurenai smile as well.

"So, back to my question, I thought Dragons were supposed to…you know…fly."

"Oh. Don't worry, Dragons can fly, even Ryuto here." he confirmed while giving the Dragon a scratch on the head that elicited a rumbling purr from the summon. "He just likes to swim so I specifically chose him to give us a ride to Wave since you told me that you don't like heights."

"Thank you for considering my well-being Naruto. By the way, why did you ask me anyway?"

Naruto gave her a sheepish grin. "Well you see, I'm not really that fond of riding Dragons. I prefer the Phoenix Clan for that. I don't know why but flying without wings makes my skin crawl." He punctuated the last part with a shiver.

"**You know Naruto-sama. If you just give it a try, you will definitely enjoy it. If you want, I'll take off right now and give you and your group one hell of a ride."** quipped the happily swimming dragon.

Naruto slap the dragon with his hand. "Oh no you don't you overgrown pile of scales. If you do that, I'll tell Seiryuu about it. He knows I don't like it." The dragon didn't say anything but the slight tremor that rocked the body was testament that the dragon was afraid.

Kurenai's attention perked up upon hearing the name. "Wait a minute. Did you just say Seiryuu? The Legendary Beast Seiryuu?" she said accusingly to Naruto.

"Kurenai-sensei, please keep it down. I don't want to announce to the world that I hold THE legendary Dragon Clan's contract." admonished Naruto in a small voice. "By the way, how did you recognize the name anyway? Jiji told me that the names of the Legendary Beast are lost since antiquity."

Kurenai blushed at being admonished by a student. "Well, I have this hobby of reading mythological histories of the Elemental Nations. That is why I recognized the name…" she snapped her head to Naruto so quick that the blonde teen thought her neck broke. "Wait a minute. Don't tell me that the boss of your two other summons are Suzaku and Byakko?" she asked/demanded from the Genin. Good thing she whispered the last part so the rest of the party wasn't able to hear.

"Uhhhhh…yes?" whispered a scared Naruto.

"Damn. Who would have thought that a simple Genin have 3 of the 4 contracts of the Legendary Beasts." sighed Kurenai, cannot believe what she found out.

"Is it really that hard to believe Kurenai-sensei?"

"Not really, its just…I don't know…amazing I guess. For a person like me who loves history, these things can be a dream come true you know." She sighed again. "How I wish…"

"How you wish that you can meet them right?"

"Uhh yes?"

Naruto laughed. She patted Kurenai on the back and gave her a huge grin. "Don't worry Kurenai-sensei. If we have time after this mission, I'll be more than happy to introduce you to them. I know they would love to know that someone is still interested in their history."

Kurenai just gave Naruto a strong hug as a silent thank you. Naruto blushed at the contact which Kurenai saw. She laughed.

The entire trip took two hours due to the boat being slow but the dragon was happy with the delay since it will allowed him to spend more time in the water. The boat took them to a secluded part of the island that was said to be out of Gato's radar. Both teams disembarked from their respective vessels. When Naruto reached the shore, he bade Ryuto farewell which the dragon happily returned. He poofed back to his home but not before telling Naruto to summon him again in case he needs another water ride. Naruto just shook his head at the absurdity of the request.

Team 7 and 8 took defensive positions around Tazuna as he guided them towards his home. It was an easy trek but everyone stopped when Kiba threw a shuriken at the moving bush before Hinata could stop him. He admonished him for his careless before going to the bush and pulling out a shivering white rabbit which was inches away from being skewered by Kiba's kunai. Hinata released the rabbit after petting it a few times and the group continued their walk towards Tazuna's house.

However, the silence around the group ended when Kakashi heard something in the woods. Without warning he yelled for everyone to get down. Everyone reacted, Shino pulled down Tazuna while everyone else threw themselves on the ground. And not a moment too soon when a huge blade was spinning overhead and impaled itself on a tree in front of them. A figure appeared, perching on the blade glaring at the Konoha team below.

"Momochi Zabuza AKA Demon of the Mist. A-rank Missing Nin from Kirigakure no Sato." Kakashi revealed the identity of the person when he recognized his appearance.

Zabuza looked down at the speaker and released an evil smirk when he recognized who it was. "Oh…Hatake Kakashi or should I say _Sharingan no Kakashi_, the Copy-Cat Ninja." said Zabuza in a taunting tone.

"What are you doing here Zabuza? Aren't you a long way from home?" said Kakashi calmly while ignoring the killer intent that the Missing Nin was throwing at them.

"Well, I'm here on business Kakashi. You see, I was hired to kill that old man over there by my client." replied Zabuza while pointing a finger at the cowering form of Tazuna.

"And who might this client be?" prodded Kakashi, wanting to get more information from the Nin.

"Tut tut Kakashi. You already know who I'm working with. So why don't you spare me the trouble and hand me the old man. In exchange, I'll let your teams go free. How's that for a good deal, huh?"

"No deal Zabuza. We were hired to protect Tazuna and you're not going to get him that easily without a fight." declared Kakashi, pulling up his Hitai-ate revealing his Sharingan. Zabuza noticed this and smirked some more.

"Oh? Bringing out the famed Sharingan already Kakashi. I'm honored that you put me in such a high pedestal."

Instead of answering the Missing Nin, Kakashi addressed the Genins. "Team 7 and 8, I want all of you to protect Tazuna. Me and Kurenai will handle Zabuza."

The Kiri Missing Nin heard this and smirked. "Really kakashi, you think that you can protect your little brats? I don't think so." He did a set of hand seals and released his technique.

**WATER STYLE: HIDDEN MIST**

Immediately, the entire area was blanketed by a thick mist that obscured everyone's view. Kurenai and Kakashi were tense for an attack while the Genins were huddled around Tazuna with their body tense for potential threats.

Out of nowhere, an intense blast of killing intent wafted through the area making the Genins shiver. Naruto was able to counteract the effects of the killing intent but the rest of the teams weren't able to do so. _"Thank Kami jiji taught me how to counter killing intent using chakra."_ Naruto thought, silently sending a prayer of thanks to the old man for the lessons.

Naruto looked around and saw that his teammates weren't taking it well. He decided on a course of action that would probably make him regret it later on. He shouted at Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei. How long do you need to get rid of Zabuza?"

Kakashi gave Naruto a glance while keeping his eyes peeled for possible attacks. "Zabuza is a master of the Silent Killing Technique. This might not be an easy match even with me and Kurenai tag-teaming him. If I must, I may be able to hold out or take him out in 15 minutes give or take."

Naruto nodded. "I can hold out with what I'm about to do." He looked at his shivering teammates and the cowering old man. "Guys, I want you to huddle around me right now. At least get in range of within 10 feet. I can protect us while our senseis take Zabuza out."

"What do you mean…" asked Shino but wasn't able to get it all out when Naruto barked out a simple command.

"NOW!" shouted Naruto with every piece of authority he could muster.

Without another word, the Genins of Team 7 and 8 huddled around Naruto with Tazuna in beside him. Not wasting any time, Naruto brought out his arms holding both in front of him. He snapped his fists together and channeled enough chakra to activate the seal. His seals on his gloves glowed, once, twice, thrice before a large dome of semi-transparent chakra materialized around the group, effectively shielding them from the outside.

Both Kakashi and Kurenai were stunned at the mount of chakra Naruto released. "What are you doing Naruto." asked a tensed Kakashi.

"This is my Chakra Shield. With the seals on my gloves, I can create an almost impenetrable barrier around me shielding us from any outside attacks. This way, you won't have to worry about us while you take care of Zabuza." explained Naruto while maintaining his concentration on the amount of chakra he is channeling to the gloves. He avoided telling Kakashi the time limit of his technique since the enemy might be listening.

Kakashi nodded but was alerted when a voice materialized behind the chakra dome.

"Oh? What is this? Do you think such a thing will protect you? Don't make a fool out of me Konoha Nin." said Zabuza as he materialized behind the stunned Genins. He swung his huge sword towards the dome but was shocked when his prized Kubikiri Hocho was repelled by the chakra dome. The sword vibrated in his hand which gave evidence that the dome of chakra was indeed a solid construct, shielding the inside from him. "Oh, now this is an interesting development. It seems your brats are quite skilled Kakashi… I wonde…" before he could finish the sentence, Kakashi materialized behind him and stabbed Zabuza through the spine.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, the Zabuza he stabbed instantly turned into water. "Shit, Water Clone." Kakashi cursed. He was about to change his location when a voice from behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"Yes it is. Now it's your turn Kakashi." He swung his sword down but stopped when a kunai imbedded into his head courtesy of Kurenai. But before anyone can claim any victory, Zabuna again turned into water.

Naruto saw the battle happening outside but was powerless to help. If he breaks his concentration then the shield will dispel putting them under the mercy of the enemy. "Hinata, I want you to support Kakashi and Kurenai-sensei from here."

"H-how will I do that Naruto-kun?" stuttered Hinata.

Naruto grunted from the strain of concentrating too much on his shield. His chakra was still at acceptable levels but taking that one hit from Zabuza's attack drained him a bit. If he wanted to hold the shield in place for long then he needs to avoid future attacks. "I want you to use your Byakugan and scout the area. Tell me how many clones are surrounding us. Do it now."

Hinata nodded and activated her Byakugan. She pumped as much chakra as she could to her eyes to increase the range. "Naruto-kun, there are at least 10 Zabuzas out there hiding in the mist. I'm sure one of them is the real one."

"Give me their location." demanded Naruto.

Hinata nodded and concentrated again. "There are two Zabuza's behind us. One out in the lake, another at 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10'o clock respectively. There are two at the last location I mentioned."

"Good. Here's the plan guys. I am going to decrease the power of my Chakra Shield, enough for you to release your attacks simultaneously. I'm going to lower my shield for only 5 seconds and I'll put it back to full power. I want you to attack when I say go. Is that clear?" Everyone nodded expect Sasuke.

"Why should we take orders from you dobe." growled the Uchiha.

"Would you mind shutting up Sasuke. If you want to kill your brother then we have to survive this first. Kakashi and Kurenai can't handle all those Zabuzas out there with this mist hiding them from view. If you want to die be my guest if not then shut your trap and attack when I say so. Understood?" Naruto growled back, but this time, he released a small killer intent enough for him to maintain his concentration towards the Uchiha that definitely shut him up. Sasuke nodded, for now.

Naruto continued while giving the Sasuke a glare. "Tazuna-san. Do you agree with my plan? Since you are my client and I am currently holding the shield protecting you. I need your permission to push through it."

Tazuna gave the blonde-haired teen a long look. So far this boy hadn't failed him yet. Heck, he shouldn't be able to reach this far without his help back in Hi no Kuni. He nodded. "Go ahead kid. Promise me that you will kick that guy's ass for me."

Naruto chuckled. "Thanks Tazuna-san. Ok everyone, when I say go I want you to release your attacks simultaneously. Shino, I want you to release your bugs and locate the real Zabuza. Once you get the location, we will relay it to our senseis. While you're at it, you might want to get the other clones as well and suck their chakra out." Shino nodded. It was a good plan.

"Sasuke, you will take care of the two behind us. Use your clan's fireball technique to blast those two to kingdom come." Sasuke nodded.

"Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, inside my robe is a pocket containing one of my trap seals. I want you each to take out the yellow tags one for each of you. I want you to hold the seals with the ink facing the target in the palm of your hand. When I give the signal, I want you to channel as much chakra as you can to the tag to release the attack I used when we fought the Demon Brothers." The three nodded. Hinata reached into Naruto's robe and couldn't help but blush when she brushed the blonde's muscles. She found the aforementioned tags and gave one each to Kiba and Sakura.

"Hinata, I want you to point Kiba and Sakura in the right direction since you're the only one that can easily see through this mist." Hinata followed Naruto's instruction and helped Kiba and Sakura point their tags to their respective target.

Naruto looked at his teammates. "Everyone ready?" everyone nodded. "Good, on the count of three…one…two…go!" He decreased the chakra he channeled to the shield to make it almost transparent signifying that its solidity is gone. Naruto counted.

"One"

Shino raised his hands and a swarm of his bugs flew out from his sleeves and flew through the mist.

"Two"

Sasuke sped through hand seals and blew out an extra large fireball towards his target hidden in the mist.

"Three"

Sakura, Kiba, and Hinata channeled as much chakra as they could to the tags on their hand releasing a barrage of kunais heading straight towards their hidden target.

"Four"

Shino confirmed that he got Zabuza's location, preparing to relay it to Naruto when their strategy ends.

"Five"

After the count, Naruto immediately snapped the shield back in place at full power. It was fortunate that he was able to do this on time since one of the Water Clones that was supposed to be Sasuke's target survived and lashed out with an overhand strike that would have easily hit Tazuna. Instead, the huge sword hit the shield with a loud clang. Naruto grunted at the effort since the attack took a quarter of his reserves leaving him at half capacity. _"Damn, those clones pack quite a punch."_ He thought.

"Shino, report." whispered Naruto. The strain of holding the shield was getting to him and the state of his chakra levels was no better.

The Aburame nodded. "The strategy worked but there were a few that went awry. One of Sasuke's targets survived and he was the one who attacked your shield. Don't worry though, my insects are draining his chakra so he should dissipate right about…."

The clone outside the shield splashed back into a puddle of water

"…now. Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura's target was killed as well. They didn't hit it at first but the constant barrage was able to reach them in the end. The rest of the clones should be running on empty right now so that left the one on the lake, the real Zabuza."

Naruto nodded. He was glad that his plan worked and not a moment too soon. He looked at Sakura. "Sakura, how good are you with Genjutsu? I know you've been studying and practicing the scroll that Kakashi-sensei gave you. Right?"

"Yes. How did you know about that?"

"Nevermind. Can you cast a Genjutsu over Kakashi-sensei and tell him what we did and that all he need to worry about is the Zabuza on the lake?"

"I-I can try I guess." stuttered Sakura, not sure of herself if she can do this.

"Don't worry Sakura, you can do this. You're a strong Kunoichi, you just need the right motivation that's all." said Naruto in a calm and confident voice while showing the pink-haired Kunoichi his true smile.

Sakura blushed at the phrase and nodded. Emboldened by Naruto's encouraging words, she took a deep breath and calmed herself. She focused on what she wanted to accomplish and sped through hand seals to activate the illusion, her target, Kakashi. When she finished the seals, she released her technique.

**ILLUSION ART: DEMONIC HELL VIEWING**

The Genjutsu that Sakura used was technically an offensive illusion that shows the targets their worst fears. But due to her impressive Chakra Control, she can overpower the neural signals enough to change the illusion as she sees fit. This technique was one from Kurenai herself which Kakashi was able to get from her for the sake of his student.

Kakashi was on alert, waiting for Zabuza to attack when his vision suddenly shifted to that of a forest just outside of Konoha. _"Genjutsu?"_ thought Kakashi. But before he could dispel the illusion, Sakura materialized in front of him.

"Kakashi-sensei?" illusion Sakura asked.

"Sakura? Did you cast the Genjutsu?" asked a stunned Kakashi.

"Yes I did. But I can't hold this for long. Please listen…" Sakura relayed Naruto's plan and everything that happened behind the mist. Kakashi was stunned at his student's strategy that effectively destroyed all of Zabuza's clones while protecting the client. It was an impressive display of strategy that only he can pull off.

"I got it. Don't worry Sakura. Release the technique now. Me and Kurenai will take care of everything." With that, Sakura disappeared.

Back in the dome, Sakura released the technique and slumped on the ground, clearly exhausted from using the Genjutsu. Hinata immediately pulled out a Solider Pill and handed it to her pink-haired teammate which she gratefully accepted and popped into her mouth. When her breathing went back to normal, Naruto addressed his concern."

"Sakura, what happened? Did everything go according to plan?" asked Naruto.

The girl nodded. "Yes. I was able to relay the message successfully but the technique drained me."

Naruto nodded. "Thanks a lot Sakura. See? I told you that you can do it and I wasn't wrong." Again, Sakura blushed at the praise but remained silent.

The group inside the shield tensed when the sound of battle was heard all around them. Clangs brought about by metal clashing with metal echoed throughout the clearing. After 5 minutes, the sounds of battle ended and the mist cleared up. What they saw made the Genin team go wide-eyed with fear but Naruto narrowed his eyes in anger.

On the lake was Zabuza holding Kakashi in a prison of water while Kurenai was at the shore bleeding from a slash to the shoulder. It wasn't serious but the blood loss was clearly affecting her. He was brought out of his observation when Kakashi shouted out from his prison.

"NARUTO, SASUKE. I WANT YOU TO TAKE TAZUNA AND THE REST OF YOUR TEAM AND RUN!" shouted Kakashi in desperation.

"SENSEI!" screamed Sakura.

"THIS IS AN ORDER! TAKE THE CLIENT AND GO!" demanded Kakashi.

"Oh ho. No can do Kakashi. I will enjoy butchering your team right in front of your very eyes. This takes me back to the good old days. Blood flowing, people screaming in fear…sigh…" he smirked at the stunned faces of the Genins "Don't worry kids. You will meet Kami soon. But I think I'll spare the ladies. They will definitely fetch a good price. Kumo would love to get their hands on the Byakugan and that pink-haired girl would be a grand addition to Gato's slaves…" he was interrupted by a cursing Kakashi.

"SHIT ZABUZA. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THE LAST PART!"

"Eh what do you me…"

"Look in front of you." instructed kakashi from inside his prison. If you looked closely, you could see that he was sweating bullets from what Zabuza said.

And looked Zabuza did and what he saw scared the crap out of him. In front of him back at the shore was a sight that both made him gawk in fear and awe.

Upon hearing Zabuza's claim on what he intend to do with his female teammates, Naruto lost it. He dropped the shield protecting them and walked out in front of the huddle despite the protest of his teammates.

In a fit of anger, Naruto activated his Kamigan and his Elemental Orbs materialized. The only difference is that these balls were twice as large as the normal ones due to Naruto's extreme anger. He walked over to the edge of the lake and leveled an intense glare of hatred at a gawking Zabuza.

"Kakashi, why didn't you tell me that you have that _boy_ with you?"

"huh?" now it was kakashi's turn to be confused.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT THE _KAMIGAN NO NAMIKAZE_ IS ONE OF YOUR GENINS!" Zabuza shouted in fear.

But before Kakashi can ask what his jailor was talking about, the cold voice of Naruto drifted over. "_Kamigan no Namikaze_? I see that they have given me a name, eh Zabuza?" said Naruto in a cold voice.

Mustering up what's left of his courage, he made a hand seal and summoned 10 clones in front of him. "So what kid? It's just a name. I don't believe what the Bingo Book says about you. You are just a measly B-Rank and I'm an A-Rank." Zabuza ordered his clones to attack the blonde Genin who was standing as if frozen on the lake shore.

Two of Zabuza's clones dashed forward and slashed at the blonde but a wall of water suddenly materialized in front of them that blasted the two away. The one that was about to throw the huge sword to his right was intercept by searing flames that instantly turned it into mist. While distracted, the rest of Zabuza's clones was able to surround him and aimed their strikes in different parts of Naruto's body but before the can reach him, Naruto slammed his hands on the ground where spikes made of earth shot out of the ground that skewered the rest of the clones which turned into water.

Not waiting for Zabuza to send more clones at him, Naruto raised one of his arms, palm pointing towards Zabuza readying his attack. The 5 floating elemental orbs floated in front of him forming a circular pattern and started to spin, increasing its speed with every rotation until they became a blur. "You know Zabuza, you're the second ever to see and feel this attack first hand. The first one was the Sandaime who was able to protect himself. But of course, the attack that I sent him was a… trial run you might say. But for you, you will get the completed version of my attack. TAKE THIS ZABUZA! 5-POINT ELEMENTAL DRILL!

After Naruto shouted his technique, he released all restraint he had with his Elemental Orbs signifying the start of the attack. The orbs released a thick, yet highly compressed stream of water, earth, fire, wind, and lightning twisting together to form a powerful elemental drill heading straight for Zabuza.

Upon seeing Naruto unleash his ultimate technique, Kakashi was sweating bullets inside his prison praying that the attack won't hit him.

Not seeing any choice, Zabuza jumped out the way praying with all his might that the attack won't hit him. His prayer was answered but the backlash when the attack hit the water was so strong that it created a huge tidal wave of water that knocked him back with such force that he thought he was inside a blender. Kakashi was lucky that he was still in the effect of the prison so he was spared from the shockwave until the water prison dissipated and the rest of the shockwave threw him unceremoniously back to shore besides a bleeding Kurenai.

Zabuza wasn't so lucky. The force was so powerful that it knocked the wind out of him. He was sure that the pressurized water that crashed into him broke some of his ribs, as well as the bones in his arms and legs. To add to the insult, he crashed hard on one of the trees in the clearing that almost made him fall into unconscious. He raised his head and saw that Naruto was walking straight at him at a calm pace, his Elemental Orbs swirling around him as if excited to deliver their master's punishment towards his enemy.

"Any last words Zabuza-san?" asked Naruto in a cold voice that sent shivers down his spine.

"K-kill me kid. Y-you…are…indeed…powerful. My…only regret…is that…I can't kill the guy…who wrote your information…on the bingo book. T-that bastard deserves…to be…killed for giving out…false information…about…you."

Naruto just gave him an amused look. "Zabuza-san. The information on that Bingo Book of yours is 2 years old. It hasn't been updated since I started training. In fact, the information there about me and my ability is seriously lacking. But for now, I will have to say good bye Zabuza-san." He raised his hands and was about to deliver his deathblow when an ice mirror appeared beside Zabuza where a masked person took him and quickly went back to the mirror that dissolved into a puddle of water.

Naruto stared in shock that Zabuza got away before he can kill him. Before he can think of anything else, his body gave out because of exhaustion. His Kamigan deactivated and fell into unconsciousness but not before hearing someone call his name.


	16. Chapter 16 Overestimation

**Reviews Feedback: **

**I'm not going to be addressing individual reviews this time (maybe in the next chapter) but I'll answer some questions that involves the story. **

**1. Kakashi – **some may think that this fic will be a Kakashi bash fest. In truth, it all depends on Naruto. If he reacts before Kakashi tells him the reason then it's going to be a bashfest, trust me. But he confront Kakashi after the explanation then, I think you already know what will happen.

**2. Powerful/Super Naruto – **no, this fic will not be a super/powerful Naruto. Sure his skill set will make him a powerful ninja of the leaf BUT if you really look into the definition of the bloodline, you will see that he has holes and weakness. I am so not going to make him overuse Kyuubi to make him a powerhouse. In fact, his strength as a ninja will be based on his overall skills, which includes his bloodline, his use of strategy, and of course, enemies that he will be encountering throughout the whole fic.

**3. Relationship – **some noticed that the Kunoichi's (female shinobis) are starting to notice Naruto (hint Hinata, hint Kurenai, hint Sakura); but please don't jump into conclusion. It is only normal for females to admire the opposite sex if they like what they see. This won't be an blush-instant-love-bam fic. If there is going to be a relationship then it is going to follow normal character development. Hey, I am not a fan of quick love and subjugation.

**4. Battle – **this is my first time to ever write a battle scene and to be frank with you, I'm not that confident with my skills. A friend of mine advised me to envision the battle in my head then try to put it into words action by action. So those of you who see something that requires improvement, please do send me a message or REVIEW. I would love to know my shortcomings so I can improve it.

**5. Length of the story – **oh yeah, I got some messages for this. I see that there are those out there that are afraid that this is going to be a straightforward fic. Worry not. I plan to follow the rules of Novel Writers – lots of details, lots of character improvement, and lots and lots of hype. I don't know why but novel writers or book lovers who enjoy these novels love it when stories are hyped up.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: **grabs a megaphone and shouts to the world** I DON'T OWN NARUTO! I ONLY WISH I DID!<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Overestimate<strong>

Kakashi looked out the window and reflected on what happened these past few days. The Genins, except for Naruto, are all down on the grounds taking the day off to recuperating while making sure that Tazuna's house is well-protected from outside threats. Kurenai was in her room resting from her wounds after being patched up by Tsunami. Good thing the wound that Zabuza gave her wasn't deep or it would have taken more than a little rest to get back on her feet again.

Everything that happened in the battle reflected poorly on the one-eyed Jounin's psyche. Sure, he held is own at first but he was eventually worn down despite Naruto's useful strategy to help them out.

The plan was quite simple, really. Kurenai would trap and distract Zabuza with Genjutsu while he moves in for the kill. Yes, the plan was simple but that is the reason why everything turned into disaster.

The Demon of the Mist fought like his namesake, a demon. Stamina, speed, strength all packed in one body for his enemy's to fear. Even with his Sharingan, Zabuza's strategy with the mist nullified everything he threw at him. He must have underestimated Zabuza. He shook his head. No, he overestimated himself. He didn't notice until it was too late. The strength that he had gained during his time in ANBU was seriously declining and the result of the battle was proof of that.

Because of his overestimation, Kurenai was slashed at the shoulder when she wasn't able to reach her in time to protect her from the clone behind her while she concentrated on her technique.

Because of his overestimation, one of his students is suffering from extreme chakra exhaustion in the other room.

Because of his overestimation, he almost cost the lives of his team.

Kakashi sighed and stood up from his bed and walked out the room.

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><p>Kurenai was awake and thinking. The battle with Zabuza was an eye opener for her. She lost and she lost badly because she overestimated her skills…and it almost cost her life.<p>

She was considered a prodigy in Genjutsu, not counting the natural skills of the Uchiha and Kurama clan. Even without a bloodline, she was able to amass and master tons of Genjutsu techniques that helped her rose the ranks in the Konoha Shinobi System. Her skills in illusions and attacks on the mind are legendary and earned her a page in the Bingo Book as an A-Rank ninja.

However, that didn't help her one bit.

During the battle, her role was simple. She was supposed to cast Genjutsu after Genjutsu to pin Zabuza down for Kakashi to finish up. The strategy was full-proof until that clone managed to slip her defenses and almost took her right arm by the shoulder. She realized that she overestimated her skills and it almost destroyed her.

It was an easily slip really. Because she placed too much faith in her Genjutsu skills, she forgot that it also has its own weakness.

Genjutsu masters were not frontline fighters. They were supposed to the support team – casting their illusions at a distance while the front line fighters finish the enemy off. Genjutsu users are supposed to be well-protected by their peers in the midst of battle. That is the reason why she chose a team of trackers, putting them one step ahead of her enemies to incapacitate them. But still, she overestimated herself.

She turned her head to look out the window. The sky overhead was blue with white puffy clouds littering here and there. She sighed. A knock from outside her door brought her out of her musings.

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><p>Kakashi walked out of his room and went straight for Kurenai's. He realized that the battle with Zabuza will repeat in a few days and they need to get ready that is if they want to get out of this alive. In fact, he was sure that this battle would be more intense than the first since Zabuza already knew what he's up against. He reached the door of Kurenai's room and knocked, waiting for the person inside to give him the permission to enter.<p>

"Come in." came a muffled voice of Kurenai.

Kakashi opened the door and went straight to the bed where Kurenai was currently in. She was sitting using the headboard as a backrest. Her shoulder was heavily bandaged down to her elbows, a testament of the wounds that she got from the battle with the Demon of the Mist. She was giving him a calm stare but he was able to see the visible doubt behind it. It seems that the battle affected Kurenai too. He sighed.

"Hello Kurenai. How are you doing?" he asked the red-eyed Jounin.

She shrugged. "Doing well, I suppose. With the wounds I have, it would take me 2 days to fully heal and another day or so to get my strength back to peak performance. How about you?"

"Good. My chakra level is almost back to full so I can now get out of bed and walk around." He replied with fake cheer.

Both were silent for a time, searching for the right words to say to the other. Kakashi sighed. He might as well get this over with.

"I'm sorry." said Kakashi.

Kurenai snapped her head back to Kakashi from looking out the window. She was genuinely confused. "Sorry? Why in the world are you sorry?"

"Ummm…I wasn't able to protect you during the battle. Our roles were set but I wasn't able to…" he was interrupted when Kurenai raised her hand to stop him.

"No need to apologize Kakashi. The battle was an eye opener for me. I'm a Genjutsu Mistress for crying out loud so standing in the middle of an active battlefield is a breach in protocol. I should have hidden myself while you draw Zabuza out and attack from there but I got overconfident with my skills that I made myself defenseless. I overestimated my skills and that almost got me killed." explained Kurenai in a defeated voice.

Kakashi nodded. "Fine. But I'm still sorry. I know about your specialization's weakness and I should have taken it into account. Same as you, I also overestimated my skills that almost killed us and our team." Kakashi said sullenly.

Kurenai chuckled. "You know what's funny? Here we are, the Jounins of Konohagakure no Sato was kicked so hard in the ass that we both landed on the bed. In truth, both of us would be dead by now if not for your student."

Kakashi also chuckled at the irony. "Yes, how could I forget. Naruto definitely saved us that day but the rest of the team also contributed equally as well. But if it weren't for his plan, everyone in that clearing would be either dead or permanently incapacitated."

"How is he by the way?" Kurenai asked, concern lining her face.

"He's ok. No wounds or bruises, just plain chakra exhaustion. He really strained himself during the battle. Holding the shield in place, an ingenious piece of work if I do say so myself, protected everyone, came up with a sound plan to help us, and kicking Zabuza in three places at once. Indeed, he really made an impact out there didn't he?"

"That he did. What he did was amazing. For the past three days since we left Konoha, Naruto has been displaying skills that far surpassed his peers. First his bloodline which is versatile and powerful, his sealing skills that could rival Jiraiya-sama, his tactical mind and leadership skills, and not to mention those useful summon of his."

Kakashi barked out a laugh. "He is incredible isn't he?" then his faced saddened. "But he did it all by himself."

Kurenai gave him a confused look. "What do you mean he did it all by himself? Aren't you supposed his Jounin-sensei? Don't tell me you didn't know any of his skill set."

"Honestly, I don't. There is a lot about Naruto I don't know. It's not because he didn't share it with me…" he hesitated telling her the next part "…its because that I haven't been a sensei for him."

"What do you mean Kakashi?" Kurenai said sharply, having an idea where this is going.

Kakashi sighed. "I already know Naruto since I was still in ANBU, in fact, I was either his bodyguard or his sparring partner. During the day of the team assignment, he recognized me and introduced himself to me with cheer and happiness. However, after the Genin Test, it all disappeared until to the point that I don't see any glimpse of it in his face."

"Again Kakashi, explain. Stop speaking in riddles. Get to the point."

"Fine. I'll explain. You already know the council and the village's view of Sasuke right?"

"The last loyal Uchiha. Of course, who wouldn't know about him. What does Sasuke have to do with it?" asked a confused Kurenai.

"Simple, after the Genin Test, the Civilian Council called me to a meeting and _ordered_ me to _teach_ the last loyal Uchiha to make him strong for the village." said Kakashi bitterly.

"So? Isn't it normal for a Jounin-sensei to teach their charges?" she asked but when she saw Kakashi's sullen looks, she continued. "There is more to this, isn't there?"

"Yes, they want me to concentrate 100% of my time with Sasuke and disregard two of my charges. Heck, even Councilman Haruno told me to forget his daughter and only asked to give her some books to read."

"WHAT?"

"It's true. To be honest with you, I would have loved to teach them all equally, it is my code after all. But because of the council's noose tied around my neck, I was forced to follow their orders." Kakashi looked down at the last part, depression hovering around him like a plague.

Kurenai sighed. This was not the first time that the Civilian Council went behind everyone's back to make a mess of things. The worst part of all is that the Shinobi Council and Hokage don't have enough power to stop it. She knew all about politics and it sickened her how the Civilian Council was able to slowly drain the Shinobi Council and Hokage of its power in the village. What's worst is that the Hokage allowed all this to happen.

"So what are you planning to do now?" asked Kurenai, hoping that her Jounin partner has a plan.

Kakashi shook his head. "For the first time in my life, I felt powerless. I don't know what to do."

Both Jounin's just hung their heads down in disappointment.

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><p>Team 8 was currently in Tazuna's backyard discussing the battle that happened yesterday. It was intense for the three rookie Genins. It was definitely different from the history books they read from the Academy. All the glory stories from well-known shinobis haven't prepared them for it. They were honest to themselves, they would have been killed.<p>

Hinata, as always, was thinking of Naruto. She has always admired him since the Academy. There was an aura of power and kindness around him that attracted her. The admiration easily turned into infatuation before it evolved into a full-blown crush. Her eyes, Byakugan or no, was always trained on him - studying him, analyzing him, admiring him. Sure, it was stalker-like of her to do so in the shadows but she couldn't help it.

Kiba thought of the battle and came into an undeniable conclusion. He almost died along with his teammate. If it wasn't for their blonde-haired teammate, Zabuza would have chopped them to pieces. When he saw both Kakashi and Kurenai-sensei incapacitated in battle, he was gripped with uncontrollable fear that he was going to die that day. But his fear turned to awe when he saw Naruto took charge of the situation and, to put it simply, kicked Zabuza's ass from here to the moon. He would never admit it in public but deep inside, he knew that he was weak and Naruto was strong. The battle was proof of that.

Shino was also deep in thought but his focus was not on the battle but the outcome of it. He could never deny the logical fact that they all survived because of the action of one boy…no man. Naruto saved them, that's the only logical answer. At first, he just ignored the blonde Genin since there was nothing about him that warrants his attention. He respected him as a person, sure, but other than that nothing.

However, when Naruto took charge of the battle with his thought-on-the-spot strategy, the bug-user was deeply impressed. The strategy was well thought out with enough room to maneuver in case things got out of hand. It also looked like that Naruto knew about their skill set so he was able to devise a plan to get them out of the mess. There was more to him than meets the eyes. This warrants more observation and starting from now on, Naruto definitely earned more than his respect.

The silence was broken around the three when Hinata spoke.

"Uhhh Shino-san, why did you call us out here?" stuttered Hinata.

"Yeah Shino, is this a team meeting or something?" asked Kiba while he was petting Akamaru sleeping on his lap.

Shino nodded and pushed his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose to put it in place. "I called you here to discuss the battle."

"It was intense wasn't it? I really believed that I was going to die when I saw our sensei all bloodied on the ground." admitted a sullen Kiba.

"It was thanks to Naruto-san though. His strategy worked and was able to win the battle for our side." said Shino. Hinata and Kiba both nodded.

"Man. Naruto sure kicked ass. Did you see his moves? They were amazing!" exclaimed an excited Kiba, waking Akamaru up but went back to sleep.

"Yes. It seems Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto is the strongest among us, as well as the rest of Rookie 9. My only question is why he didn't show such competence during the academy years." asked Shino.

"I think I know." whispered Hinata. Both Kiba and Shino looked at her, waiting for her to continue. Seeing that their attention was on her, Hinata continued. "I don't really know anything really about Naruto-kun but I have observed him during the Academy. It seems that he hid his skills from us, only bringing them out when needed. He is calm, collected, and smart. No one ever calls him a genius but I can see that he is one but he kept it well hidden."

Shino nodded. "Yes, there is no other logical explanation. But the question is…why?"

"I think Naruto hid his skills as a Shinobi should." admitted Kiba.

Shino rose an eyebrow at this. "Really? Please explain."

"It's simple really. We all know that shinobis are masters of deception and I think Naruto took that to heart. We all know that he is strong and it is only obvious that he knows that he is strong too. So I think he hid his skills back in the Academy because he doesn't want to announce his skills to his potential enemies and not making everyone else feel inferior." explained Kiba. He remembered the time that Naruto was being friendly with the entire class. He helped them whenever he could. No harsh words or mocking slights ever left his mouth. He did the total opposite. He encouraged everyone that needed help and spent time with people making friends. It took him a death-defying battle to realize that.

"You have a point there Kiba-san. But I don't understand his thoughts on the matter." pushed Shino.

"Shino-san, I think the only person who can answer that question is Naruto-kun himself. I mean, it is not right for us to pry into his life but if he wants to share it with us then it is ok." whispered Hinata.

Shino nodded. He wouldn't disrespect Naruto by spying on him. Yes, he will ask him when the time is right.

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><p>Sakura was deep in thought. The battle with Zabuza scared her. No, it terrified her. This was the life she has chosen but why is she afraid to face it?<p>

She looked at his fellow teammate practicing his Taijutsu. Uchiha Sasuke, the hottest student in the Academy, a prodigy of a powerful clan, handsome, mysterious, manly. Yes, Uchiha Sasuke was her crush and desire but the question is…why isn't she feeling any of it right now as she looked at him. Naruto's question echoing in the confines of her mind:

_What motivates you to become strong?_

If Sakura was honest with herself, she chose to attend the Shinobi program for only one reason – to be with Uchiha Sasuke. Sure she was smart, she aced every test. Ask her anything in the book, she will give you a textbook answer. When she asked Naruto's help to become strong, her goal was to impress Sasuke. Simple as that. She was determined to become strong for him.

But why does it all sound hollow now?

During the battle, she saw how Naruto took charge of the situation and put his life on the line to save them. He even dropped his animosity of Sasuke and asked for his help to help them get out of it alive. She could see on his face that it took a lot of effort to maintain that shield of his and she was grateful for it. She almost screamed when she saw the huge sword coming right at them but was surprised when it harmlessly bounced off the shield Naruto created. He saw the grunt Naruto inadvertently released when the sword hit the dome. It was hurting him and she knows nothing to help.

She realized that there is more to being a Shinobi than books and impressing your instructors or your crush. In fact, the battle was a real eye opener for her. Shinobi battles can be summarized into 4 simple words – _kill or be killed_. And that scared her. It was time.

Her eyes suddenly burned with determination. It was time to talk to Naruto again. This time, she will give him the right answer.

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><p>Naruto woke up with a splitting headache. He groaned as his muscles ached when he moved. He looked around and saw that he was in someone else's room judging from the furniture and stuff around him. A voice in his mind interrupted his observation.<p>

"_**Glad to see that you're awake." **_

"_Kyuubi?" _asked Naruto.

"_**No, it's the tooth fairy. Duh, who do you think can talk to you in your mind." **_Kyuubi said sarcastically.

"_Sorry, I'm still out of it I guess. What happened?" _asked a sheepish Naruto.

"_**Well it seems that you don't remember. I'll summarize it for you kit. You kicked Zabuza's ass. Now that battle was something. A bit excessive but it was still good nonetheless. It could have used more blood though if you asked me." **_He added the last part as an afterthought.

"_Well, excuse me for being hyped up in the moment of battle."_ grouched Naruto, insulted that his skills wasn't noteworthy for the GREAT Kyuubi no Kitsune sealed in his gut.

"_**I didn't mean it as an insult brat. Anyway, you were about to finish Zabuza off when that mysterious kid came in to save him then you passed out. The dark-haired girl patched you up real good and the dog-boy carried all the way to your client's house and here you are."**_

"_How long was I out?"_

"_**Two days."**_ Now that got Naruto's attention.

"_WHAT? Why did it take so long for me to recover from simple chakra exhaustion. I usually just fill it back up in the matter of hours."_asked a shocked Naruto. Kyuubi just rolled his eyes at the outburst.

"_**Sure kit. That is WHAT usually happens when you go into chakra exhaustion. But you did something stupid and amazing at the same time during the battle." **_Kyuubi said in an amused voice.

"_Stupid and amazing at the same time? Now you're confusing me."_ Naruto didn't know if he was being insulted or complimented by the fox.

"_**Stupid humans. Ok, let me explain it to you. When you disengaged the shield and battled Zabuza, you chakra reserves were already less of an eight of your overall reserves – that would make you an average Genin in Chakra Level. With that amount, you could only sustain your bloodline for about 10 minutes or so. However, because of your blind rage, you pushed out more chakra than what you currently have, you overworked the Shinigami Seal on your stomach and increased the conversion of my chakra to your chakra. You didn't just suffer from chakra exhaustion, you suffered from chakra overload! You were lucky that you didn't blow up."**_Kyuubi explained with an exasperated growl.

He was watching the battle with interest when the sudden surge of chakra from him to the seal scared him. He FELT more and more chakra come out of him from the seal into Naruto's chakra circulator system. Due to his limited control on the boy's body, he can't do anything but watch, praying to Kami that the boy's action wouldn't kill them both. That was the only time that Kyuubi felt fear for his own life and that was something he didn't want to feel again. 

"_Ok, I got the stupid part. What about the amazing part?"_ Naruto was shaking now. He didn't know that he almost died back there. He thanked Kami that he was still alive.

"_**Well, chakra overload have two possible outcomes. One, you blow up and erase everything around you from the discharge. Imagine 50 exploding tags in a single place. BOOM. Everyone turns to ash. However, you suffered from the second case, you expanded your chakra coils."**_ Kyuubi paused from his explanation to add a little bit of drama. _**"I would like to congratulate you in successfully absorbing two-tails worth of my chakra making your overall reserves twice of that of a kage-level shinobi added to your previous one. So now, you are a walking power plant of chakra. Good job you idiot. If you put me through that again I'm going to flood you with so much chakra that you will light up like a miniature sun." **_threatened the great beast with a deep growl. Naruto gulped.

"_Whoah whoah whoah. Back up a bit. What did you mean I increased my chakra reserves? How did that happen?"_He knew about chakra exhaustion of course since the old man warned him all about it but the chakra overload thing was a mystery to him.

"_**So you want to get technical I see, I guess I can humor you…"**_

"_Get on with it!" _growled an irritated Naruto.

"_**Sheesh, humans are so impatient. Well, considering your puny lifespan I guess you humans have to do everything in a hurry." **_Naruto growled at the annoying fox. Kyuubi grinned.

"_**To give you the technical explanation on what happened, with the sudden influx of my converted chakra into your system by unknowingly getting it from the seal, you forced your already impressive chakra coil to expand. The massive influx of chakra FORCED your chakra coils to expand twice it size to accommodate the tidal surge of chakra flowing through your system. It is a permanent deal. Once it happens, your chakra coil expands permanently and stays that way. The amazing thing about the whole phenomenon is you still haven't reached your peak yet and your coils will continue to expand. I estimate that your overall chakra capacity when you reach your prime would be somewhere in between 4-5 tails worth of my own. You can even take on the 5-tailed Gobi if you really wanted to. Impressive. You are either suicidal or a lucky bastard."**_

"_So what happens now?"_

"_**Well, all I can say is that your new reserves will take some time to get used to. Your Chakra Control is shot, I would say you are back to Genin-level chakra control but I'm sure you can get it back to your previous level with your Shadow Clone training.**_

Naruto groaned. _"I guess this means I'm back to square one. This is going to be a long mission."_

"_**Be thankful kit. Either that or you meet Kami AFTER you blow up. If you ask me, I prefer the former."**_

"_Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence you sadistic fox."_

"_**I aim to please. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap. Between absorbing two-tails worth of my chakra and regulating your coil's growth, I'm pooped. So for now, good night. Don't disturb me if it's not important."**_ With that, Kyuubi severed the mind link and Naruto was left alone to this thoughts. Considering that he wasn't fully healed yet, he went back to sleep hoping that all will be well tomorrow.

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><p>(TIME SKIP – 3 DAYS AFTER BATTLE WITH ZABUZA)<p>

Naruto woke up to the smell of delicious food wafting up from below the house. He shook himself awake and looked out the window and estimated that it is already noon. From the looks of it, he overslept and woke up the day after his conversation with Kyuubi. He shook his head and threw off the blanket. He blushed when he discovered that he was almost naked except for his boxers.

"_Shit, I wonder who undressed me."_ His thoughts wandered to Hinata or Sakura. But what made him turn into a tomato is the idea of Kurenai removing his clothes and doing nasty things to him while he was knocked out.

He shook his head vigorously trying to get the perverted thought out of his head. _"Damnit! The old man's dirty mind is starting to get to me."_

He got off the bed and saw that his gear was neatly folded on top of the lone table in the middle of the room. He first went to the bathroom to take a short bath then went over this gear and put it on, lavishing the feel of it on his skin. When he got out of the door, he saw that he was on the second floor of the house so he followed the hallway and went downstairs and followed the delicious smell to the kitchen where he saw a beautiful middle-aged woman with jet-black hair wearing a pink dress. She was busy cooking on the stove and didn't notice his entrance. He coughed to get her attention.

The woman turned quickly and gave him a warm smile. "I see that you're awake. You've been sleeping for 3 days now. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I'm Naruto, and you miss?"

"Oh how rude of me. My name is Tsunami. I already know who you are. My father told me all about you. You are part of the team my father hired to protect him while he completes the bridge." the woman who introduced herself as Tsunami gave him a warm smile which he happily returned.

"You're Tazuna's daughter?" said Naruto with a dumbfounded look on his face. He couldn't believe that this beautiful woman was that old man's daughter. How in the world did that drunkard get so lucky?

Tsunami giggled when she saw the disbelief on his face when she introduced herself. She gets that all the time. "Anyway, I guess you're hungry right now, 3 days of no food and all. Why don't you take a seat and I'll serve you something to eat." She gestured towards the table.

Naruto's stomach growled and nodded. He walked to the table and took a seat. He looked around and saw that the interior was quite homey. It was simple but there was a feel to it that seems to radiate love and contentment. It made him feel at home. "Ummm… where is everyone? Are they alright?" asked Naruto with concern lacing his voice.

Tsunami answered him while she was pulling out a plate from the cabinet and started to put food on it. "Your teammates are out right now, the one-eyed sensei of yours told me that they were going to do some training. The red-eyed sensei, I think Kurenai her name was, is all healed up from her wound. Everyone else just took their rest for a day to get back into shape. In fact, Kurenai-san just woke up this morning after resting for 3 days and immediately joined the rest out in the woods for training." She placed the food in front of Naruto. "Eat first before you join them ok? You haven't eaten anything for 3 days and it's not good for you."

Naruto nodded his thanks and dug into the food that Tsunami served him. The simple act may not be much but he felt a sudden pang in his heart. "_This must be how it feels to have a mother that cares for you." _He thought.

The food was pretty good. He knew how to cook of course but he was nothing compared to Tsunami's expertise in the arts of cooking. He thought of asking her for some recipes but he decided to do it later when all the hubbub died down.

He finished the plate in record-breaking time. He found out that he was hungry and his stomach growled for another plate. With an embarrassed smile, he asked for seconds. Tsunami just graced him with a warm smile and filled his plate up again and told him that there are still plenty for him to go around. After finishing his second plate, he thanked Tsunami for the meal then left the house towards the woods.

When he got out of the house, he forgot that to ask for directions where his teammates were going to train. He sighed and released a large chakra pulse and tried to sense the familiar chakra signature of his team. The pulse returned revealing that Team 7 and 8 was exactly 500 meters west of the house so he took a deep breath and headed in that direction.

As he walked, Naruto was busy checking out his current chakra reserves to see how much damage it made to his overall control. The amount of chakra he currently have in his body was amazing. It was like Kyuubi said, it was enormous. He easily dwarfed the old man's own level or anyone in Konoha for that matter. Now all he needed to do was find out how much he needs to practice to get his previous control back

He raised his hand to the side and manipulated his chakra to form his trusted blade. It immediately appeared but the size was definitely off. Instead of getting a 4-foot blade, the blade that he formed was around 8-feet. _"Shit. My control is screwed. This might take a while to get used to." _cursed Naruto as he tried to remember the different Chakra Control Exercises he had at his disposal to correct the problem. He allowed the blade to dissipate and sighed again. _"This is going to take a lot of work."  
><em>

He heard a bunch of noise when he neared the clearing that his teammates were supposed to be training. When he got there, he saw that the group was doing Tree Walking Chakra Control.

Sasuke, Shino, and Kiba were busy running up the tree though they disengaged when the chakra to their feet were cut off and tried again. Sakura and Hinata seem to have mastered the exercise since both their expertise involved Chakra Control. From the looks of things, Kakashi and Kurenai instructed them to run up and down to improve their reserves to add to their basic strength.

Naruto stepped into the clearing and greeted everyone. "Hi guys! What's up?"

Shouts of 'Naruto', 'You're Awake', and 'How have you been?' echoed throughout the clearing at the same time. Naruto winced at the volume.

"Hey hey! Cool down guys. I'm good. Sleeping for 3 days shot my chakra back to full capacity. So, what did I miss?" asked Naruto with his usual cheerfulness.

"Nothing much, Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei wanted us to be trained since they think that Zabuza will come back to finish the job." shrugged Kiba.

Naruto nodded. It was a sound strategy. Get stronger while the enemy heals then hope to defeat them during the rematch. "So what have you been guys doing to get stronger?"

"I asked them to do the Tree Walking exercise to improve the control over their chakra. If they get it on time then we will move on to Water Walk. The boys are still trying to master Tree Walking right now. The girls already mastered the exercise but are still doing it for the sake of increasing their small reserves before moving on to the next level. Now that you're here, you can join them." said Kurenai.

"Great!" cheered Naruto "Good timing too since my chakra control is shot because I got a slight boost of chakra after the battle."

The revelation shocked Kurenai and Kakashi while the rest just got a confused look on their face. Naruto was already a chakra powerhouse according to Kakashi. If he got a boost then who knows how big his current reserves are. "How did it happen Naruto?" Everyone was listening on the conversation, even Sasuke.

Naruto decided to reveal his condition but not everything. He needed to hide Kyuubi's involvement for now.

"I'm not really sure but I think I overloaded my coils during the battle. I read from the book that I suffered from Chakra Overload. Basically, I flooded my coils with so much chakra that it was forced to expand. The theory relates to the Hachimon Gates, I think I accidentally opened one of them during my anger. So now, my coils are permanently twice the old one and I got more chakra from the whole thing. Well, if I didn't get it then the other result would have been devastating." He winced at the last part. He really was thankful that he didn't blow up as Kyuubi explained the whole technical side of the phenomenon.

"What do you mean?" asked Shino.

"Well, I was lucky that I got the rare case to happen to me during Chakra Overload. However, if I didn't have Kami's luck then I would have blown up and taking you all with me." Everyone shivered at the thought. It wasn't a pleasant way to go.

"Now that everything is explained and Naruto is up and running then why don't you guys continue with the exercise." advised an overly happy Kakashi.

The Genins except for Naruto groaned.

Naruto was definitely struggling with the Tree Walking exercise. Sure he already mastered this before but doing it again with an even greater amount of chakra flowing through his body only made it a tad more challenging. He was blown off the tree, splintering the trunk, when he channeled too much chakra. He crashed on the ground leaving an imprint of his body. This left Naruto pissed that he has to start the hard work over again. Everyone was trying to stifle their amusement while Sasuke just gave him an arrogant smirk thinking that Naruto was just lying about what he said before. Well, that pissed him a whole lot more.

He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He glared at the innocent-looking tree and did a single hand seal and shouted.

**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU**

Everyone's amusement and Sasuke's arrogant smirk slid from their face when a hundred Naruto Shadow Clones appeared on the clearing.

"Ok boys. You know the drill. Pick a tree and hop to it!" ordered a pissed off Naruto.

After a huge shout of 'Yes boss' that could be heard from the other side of wave, the entire clearing was filled to the brim with Narutos doing Tree Walking exercise - some falling off, some slowly trudging up, while most were blown off like what happened to Naruto earlier. It was a comical sight but for the Genins and Jounins, it was downright remarkable

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" shouted Kiba as he sported a dumbfounded expression on his face at the sight of a hundred Narutos.

"What?" asked Naruto, facing Kiba, giving him a questioning look.

"What are those things and why are they doing your exercise?" asked Kiba while pointing an accusing finger at the busy clones.

"Oh those are _Shadow Clones_. It is a Konoha Forbidden Technique that is known only to the Hokage. I learned it during my training since it was part of the training schedule that my dad left me in a letter. The technique was forbidden because it requires a massive amount of chakra just to make one. They aren't illusion. They are all solid."

Naruto demonstrated by slapping one of the clones on the head who returned it while giving the original a glare. The original Naruto just rubbed his sore head and apologized to the smug clone.

"See? Solid. Also, another bonus ability of Shadow Clones is that they pass what they learn over to the original after they dispel; making them perfect tools for spying, infiltration, information gathering, and to those with huge chakra reserves like me, training. So this way, I can get the exercise done quickly with a hundred of me gaining the same experience. Although I only get the mental part of the training and not the physical. Neat huh?" explained Naruto cheerfully.

When Sasuke heard this, he plowed his way towards Naruto. "Dobe! I _demand_ you to teach me that technique. I need to it gain power and kill _him_." demanded an overly irate and jealous Sasuke. Everyone was shocked that Sasuke just demanded a technique just like that. Kakashi just shook his head while Kurenai was glaring daggers at him.

Naruto lifted an eyebrow when Sasuke demanded to teach him his technique. _"I think it is time to bring him down a peg or two." _thought the blonde.

"Sure Sasuke, I'll be happy to teach you this technique." Kakashi was about to forbid him to do it due to the risk but he raised his hand to stop him. He gave him a smirk before returning his gaze towards the smug Uchiha. "The first step of this technique is to have the same chakra reserves that I do. Well, do you?"

"Of course dobe. I'm stronger than you. Teach me the technique now!" Naruto just quirked a smile at this. Sasuke was acting like a kid wanting to have candy for breakfast.

"Sure. But first let's see if you have the chakra for this technique. I can easily do this technique and summon thousands of clones without getting winded. I think Kakashi-sensei can do around 2 with his current chakra." Naruto did a single hand seal. "If you can match my chakra then I will teach you. Here, I'll even show you how much chakra I have."

With that, Naruto released his restraint on his coils and willed his chakra to come forth – all of it. Nothing happened at first but suddenly, a pillar of blue chakra erupted from Naruto's body that almost blew everyone off the field. Naruto was covered from head to toe with potent blue chakra that reached up to the heavens.

Still releasing his chakra, he looked at a stunned Sasuke. "So Sasuke, do the same seal I did and pump out as much chakra as you can. As you can see, this is the amount of chakra I have in my body. Why don't you release yours so we can compare. If you equal or exceed mine then I will teach you the Kage Bunshin." offered a smirking Naruto.

Everyone, except Sasuke, looked at Naruto as if he was crazy. The amount of chakra he released was stronger than that of a Kage. All of them doubted Sasuke could pull that off. They just shook their heads and waited for the inevitable.

Sasuke was confident that he can easily outmatch Naruto in chakra levels. After all, he is an Uchiha so it is only natural that he is the best. He followed the same hand seal as Naruto and released all the chakra in his body. What happened was a disappointment.

Sasuke's light blue chakra erupted from his body but it was nowhere near comparable to Naruto. The chakra he emitted was easily Chunnin level but it is nothing to what Naruto was giving out. Naruto saw this and decided to comment.

"See Sasuke. You don't enough chakra to pull of this technique. If you perform Kage Bunshin at this stage of your growth then you will surely pass out from exhaustion. Heck, even if you manage a single clone, it wouldn't even last a full 10 seconds with the chakra supply you have. Kage Bunshin is not a simple technique since you pump as much chakra into the clones to both create and sustain them.

Sasuke held his ground for 5 more minutes before cutting off the exercise and fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Naruto just smirked and recalled all the chakra he released. He walked over to a vacant tree but not before looking over his shoulder towards the panting teen. "Just remember this Sasuke. ALL my techniques are part of the Namikaze-Uzumaki Clan so there is NO WAY you can force me to teach anyone. I will teach who I want, when I want and you have no say in the matter."

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><p>It was an hour later that a happy Naruto was able to gain back a part of his previous Chakra Control by mastering Tree Walking, much to the envy of Shino, Kiba, and Sasuke. He created another 100 clones and told them to go to the lake and practice Water Walking while he created 2 more clones so he can help his teammates, which includes also includes the brooding Uchiha.<p>

He instructed Shino, Kiba, and Sasuke that they were not distributing chakra properly. Instead of running up, he advised them to lie on the ground at the base of the tree with their feet parallel to the trunk. He told them to stick a foot to the tree and channel chakra until they feel that it is indeed sticking to the wood. He advised them to cut off the chakra then apply it again. After mastering this phase of the exercise, he instructed them to slowly walk up from their position while maintain a calm mind to help them focus better. Slowly, all three boys walked up the tree until they reached the top. He called them down and instructed them on the next part.

"Now guys, walking and running are quite different. The usual instruction in Tree Walking is to run until you get used to it but I found out that doing the exercise I taught you can help let you focus chakra to your feet faster. Once you get the feel of it, you can start running up and see if you have improved. Now hop to it."

Groaning, all three boys took up their stances and ran up the tree while maintaining their focus. Everyone was surprised, except Naruto, when all boys easily ran up the tree. Now the next step.

"Ok guys, the next step is to run up and down the tree. Once you got that down, I want you to increase your speed in running. This will help you get used to the constant change of channeling chakra to your legs and feet. Once you master this, it should be second nature to you." Naruto shouted over to the three running boys. Everyone could hear the massive groan from the boys as they continue to follow Naruto's instruction.


	17. Chapter 17 A Helping Hand

**Review Feedback:**

**To Ccebling:** No, this is not a haremfic. I like to read them but I'm not really a fan of them. I think those who think this is a haremfic is because of the girl's reaction to Naruto? Let me ask you this, isn't it normal for girls to blush or flush a bit when they see something they LIKE? ^_^ it is just a normal reaction I assure you, so I reiterate, this is NOT a haremfic, I'm not even sure who Naruto's partner will be in the future if I ever decide to give him one.

**To Fritter:** Yes, it is quite common for 'council' to appear and muck up the works but it is necessary for my story. Also, regarding what you said that there is no council in the original Naruto fic, well, I have 2 points: Point 1: this is an AU so I can just add what I want and make it work, and Point 2: This is how most government work, especially in a government ruled by the military. I'm just applying what I know and the idea I got from others. Thanks for the review.

**To nxkris:** Interesting ideas you have there but I don't think I'll turn Naruto into a complete powerhouse. Yes, Kyuubi will be able to regenerate the chakra he lost but not all the time since his chakra is so potent that it can damage Naruto if done all the time. And also, Kyuubi will not be absorbed by Naruto. He will be there till Naruto dies or is unsealed.

**To edward kizaru:** Nice idea. I will sure to come up with a plot to include that in.

**To david9999 (Dominic):** you read my mind on the 'devastating' part. He he he he **cue evil cackle **

**To CJ Snow:** Thank you for the concern over my health. Don't worry though. I'm just somewhat free at the moment since I already finished with all of my workload. I might be busy again next week but since I have plenty of time at my hands at the moment so I'll take advantage of it and follow through with the story. Besides, I know the feeling of reading a nice story then have to stop because there's no update. Hehehe cheers and thanks for caring.

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><p>Disclaimer: (rolls his eyes) here we go again. No, Naruto isn't mine to begin with. I just WISH I own it.<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: A Helping Hand<strong>

It has been a week since the battle with Zabuza and Naruto has been busy training with the rest of his teammates. Since he already mastered tree walking and water walking…again, he moved to his own training since there was nothing his senseis can really teach him in terms of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu.

This is why Naruto is now in a secluded clearing a little distant from Tazuna's house practicing with Kazehime. While he was flowing from one stance to another, his thoughts drifted back to the meeting he had with the rest of the team last night, as well as his confrontation with Tsunami's son, Inari.

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><p>(FLASHBACK)<p>

Team 7 and 8 along with their Jounin sensei was in the kitchen having an impromptu meeting regarding the potential battle in the future. Kakashi theorized that the massive injuries that Zabuza sustained in the hands of Naruto would take at least 2 weeks to heal but they would exercise caution by assigning some of them to look out for Tazuna every time he goes out to work on the bridge.

At least one Jounin sensei would be present in guarding the client plus two Genins. They decided to team up Naruto and Kiba, Shino and Hinata, and Sasuke with Sakura. The team was decided according to individual skills that are compatible with each other.

"I would expect that we have 5 to 7 days more for Zabuza to heal up and finally launch an attack on the bridge to kill Tazuna. All of your current training will have to continue to make sure that it would give you a good chance to survive and bring down the enemy." said Kakashi.

Kurenai continued Kakashi's train of thought. "Also, it is quite possible that Zabuza would be bringing in reinforcements considering the firepower we have at our disposal." She locked her gaze at Naruto who was trying not to get embarrassed at the direct jab over his Kamigan. "We need to come up with a plan to prepare the place of battle just in case their numbers is too much for us to handle so any ideas?"

"I'm not sure if it would work but we could make use of my other trap seal just in case if the numbers is too much for us to handle." suggested Naruto while deep in thought.

Kakashi looked at Naruto, curious about the suggestion. "What do you mean trap seal? Are you talking about the one you used in the battle with Zabuza?"

"Yes and No. Yes because the concept is similar and No, it is totally different." He pulled out the white seal tag from his pocket and laid it down on the table for all to see. Everyone was eyeing it with curiosity. "This is the other trap seal that I designed that is similar to the one on my gloves. Instead of firing the projectile in the pointed direction, this trap tag fires the weapons at specific intervals in ALL direction. Perfect 360 degrees projectile attack. All is needed is to give it enough chakra for it to keep firing or until it runs out of projectiles." Naruto explained proudly.

Kakashi and Kurenai were impressed. The advantage of such a seal will easily tip the tide to their favor in any battle. Now the only problem is where to place them. "That is a very good idea Naruto. All we need to do is to decide where to place these tags to get the most out of it."

Naruto tapped his chin with a finger. "Hmmmm I think we can easily set up the battlefield to our favor by making sure that the trap seals are near the place where Tazuna is located. If I base it on what I read on the history books, Zabuza and Gato would likely attack at the end of the bridge since Tazuna would be there. He is their target after all."

Kakashi pondered on that for a moment before nodding. "Good thinking Naruto. I think it would be best to place the trap at night to make sure you aren't found out." Shino raised his hands that interrupted Kakashi. "Yes Shino?"

Shino coughed a bit when everyone's attention was trained on him. "I would like to add to that plan. It is logical to have either Hinata or me assist Naruto as a lookout once he place the traps to make sure that the coast is clear and eliminate the chance of discovery. Hinata's Byakugan or my insects can keep a lookout on the perimeter to make sure that no one can see Naruto as he place and hides the traps."

Kurenai nodded. "That is a pretty good idea Shino. Glad you thought of it." Shino nodded at the praise. She looked at everyone. "Let's go with that plan. Every evening starting tonight, Naruto and Hinata or Shino will go to the bridge and lay down the trap. Make sure it is well hidden. Shino or Hinata will be on lookout. If the attack doesn't happen the next day, Naruto will recycle the trap to the newest section of the bridge in preparation for the next day." explained Kurenai.

"Since that part is over and done with, no we need to discuss a strategy to deal with Zabuza and his goons when the attacks do happen. My plan is quite simple but is open to suggestion. Me and Naruto will directly confront Zabuza. Since Zabuza is a Kenjutsu user, Naruto can confront him easily but it is best not to underestimate him. I will provide enough distractions or potential one-hit-kill attacks when a hole in his defense appears. Any question so far?" asked Kakashi while eyeing everyone in the group. He saw that Sasuke wanted to say something so he nodded towards him.

"Why is the dobe going with you? I should be the one to confront Zabuza." said Sasuke with a scowl on his face.

Kakashi just shook his head at the absurdity of the thought. "Simple really Sasuke, you don't have background nor experience in Kenjutsu. Naruto here has trained with some of my friends in ANBU regarding his sword style so I would say that he is pretty good with it if he can handle two of them at the same time. Another is you don't have the Sharingan yet so you will not be able to help much except for throwing your fire techniques everywhere." Sasuke fumed at the insult but he just kept quiet.

"Ok, let me continue. Kurenai, Sasuke, and Hinata will take care of any other party that Zabuza brings with him. Kurenai will provide long range support through her illusions and incapacitate the opponents, Sasuke will rotate between mid-range Ninjutsu or short-range Taijutsu depending on the situation, and Hinata will provide scouting using her Byakugan or additional short-range Taijutsu attacks with Sasuke. You think that you two can handle that?" asked Kakashi while eyeing a grinning Sasuke and a shy Hinata who both nodded in affirmative.

"Good, next, Sakura and Shino will protect Tazuna while on the bridge. Shino will be able to utilize his bugs for attack, defense, and reconnaissance. Sakura will provide short-range support. She can use her illusions to trap incoming opponents for a short while before Shino can take care of it. Well, that's what I got so far. Any other suggestions?" finished Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, if we do trigger the trap tags I placed on the bridge, I want everyone to huddle up to me so I can activate my barrier to protect everyone. Trust me, when I say it is needed." suggested Naruto.

"Why is that?" asked Shino with a raised eyebrow.

"Simple, I designed that trap seal to make sure that there are no holes in the projectile trajectory. When I say perfect 360 degrees attack then you are looking at kunais or shurikens traveling at insane speed in EVERY direction. There are no holes except under the tag of course." He added the last part with a cheeky grin.

"That is understandable. I want you to demonstrate to the group how this trap tag of yours work so we will know what to look out for when it is activated." instructed Kakashi.

"We can also use Tazuna as a rendezvous point when it is time to activate Naruto's tags. This way, we can protect everyone at the time." quipped Sakura.

Kakashi nodded. "Good idea Sakura. Glad you thought of that." Sakura blushed at the praise.

Before anyone could say anything, Inari walked into the kitchen and glared at everyone.

"Why are you all trying so hard? Don't you see that Gato is invincible? You're all going to die if you fight him." shouted the livid boy.

"We are ninja kid. We can handle a two-bit thug like Gato easily." boasted Kiba and Akamaru barked to support Kiba's claim.

"No. You're all going to die. He is just too strong." shouted Inari, this time tears leaking from his eyes.

"As if. I'm an Uchiha so this Gato is no match against me." Sasuke boasted with an arrogant smirk while giving the boy a look of disdain.

Naruto just looked at the boy and saw the sadness and utter despair in the boy's eyes. He remembered the story that Tsunami told him about Kanzai, Inari's stepfather, who died fighting Gato to protect the citizens of Wave. Since that day, Inari retreated into a depressed shell and has been talking back at everyone who was thinking on defying the tyrant businessman.

"Inari, you really think that?" whispered Naruto but it can be easily heard by everyone in the room.

"Yes. You people shouldn't be here. You are just going to die. You don't understand what we went through. Those who fought Gato died. You are all going to die!" shouted a crying Inari.

"No Inari. It is YOU who don't understand. We know what you are going through right now."

"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US! YOU PEOPLE DIDN'T SUFFER AS WE DID IN THE HANDS OF GATO."

Kakashi and Kurenai froze at the declaration and looked at Naruto waiting for him to lash out at the clearly distressed kid. What they saw was a calm Naruto who was giving the boy a sympathetic gaze.

"Tell me Inari, what do _you_ know about the life of a Shinobi?" asked a calm Naruto. Inari just shook his head in negative.

"You are not the only one who knows suffering Inari. The life of a shinobi is no easy life. We are always brought into the face of danger and every day is a challenge just to stay alive. Take Sasuke over there for example, he lost his entire clan in just one night because of his brother killing all of them. Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are both orphans, both of them lost their parents during the war. Hinata lost his mother and is brought up in a household that is full of conflict. There are two among us who have a relatively normal life, like Sakura and Shino there but that don't make their life easier. We all have our own suffering."

Naruto took a deep breath and braced himself on what he is about to say next.

"You say we don't know suffering Inari? Well, what do you know of my life? I was raised without any parents, an orphan. I never knew the identity of my parents. I was only told two years ago who they were. I was left in an orphanage despite who my father was. I was kicked out of said orphanage at the age of four. I was glared at everyday, mobs after mobs would try to kill me. Dozens of assassins appear in my apartment almost every night trying to get rid of me. One day every year, the entire village would bring out their weapons and chase me all around the village trying to maim me. Now tell me Inari, don't you think I know suffering? At least you have your mother and grandfather to take care of you. You have a nice home to shelter you and their love to sustain you. I have none of it and you think I don't know suffering?" Naruto ended his tirade leveling a cold glare at a clearly shaken boy.

Inari couldn't take it anymore so he slumped to the floor and bawled his eyes out. Naruto took pity on the kid and stood up from his seat. He walked over to the slumped form of Inari and knelt in front of him. He did the only thing he could do to the clearly distraught teen. He hugged him.

The boy clung to Naruto's chest and cried hard. Naruto kept whispering calming words to the boy while rubbing his back hoping to get him to calm down. Everyone was quiet, looking at Naruto and Inari on the floor. Not one of them offered any questions or words of comfort. None were necessary. They could clearly see that Naruto accepted the life he lived and let it stay in the past. Nothing needs to be said so they just watched.

After a while, Inari cried himself to sleep so Naruto scooped him up in his arms and looked at everyone in the room. "Guys, I'm going to take Inari to bed then I'm going out for a while. With that, he left the room and walked up the stairs carrying a sleeping tear-stained boy in his arms.

(END OF FLASHBACK)

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><p>Ever since that incident, Naruto and Inari had become close and sharing stories about their life. Inari looked up to Naruto as a brother while the latter has been seeing the kid as a little brother he never had. Both were inseparable when in the house and the rest of the team often found them either at the garden or on the roof talking and laughing.<p>

Naruto channeled a little chakra to Kazehime that was immediately surrounded by a greenish glow. He lashed out with a horizontal slice and released a crescent-shaped wave of chakra that cut one of the trees in front of him. Naruto got out of his stance and returned his sword back in the tattoo then wiped the sweat off his face.

A crunch of leaves made him alert for a potential attack. He turned towards the source of the noise and saw a girl wearing a pink sleeveless kimono with dark pink trimmings. That girl was carrying a wicker basket filled with herbs. The girl looked stunned at the sudden tenseness of the boy in front of him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." apologized the girl.

Naruto relaxed and gave the girl a smile. "No problem miss. I was just caught by surprise, that's all." The girl returned the smile. Naruto noticed that she was somewhat cute and immediately erased the thought from his mind. _"Pervert."_ He berated himself. "What are you doing this far out in the woods miss…?"

"Haku, my name is Haku. I came out here to pick up some herbs for a friend of mine. He was injured recently so I want to help him heal faster by getting him some medicinal herbs for his injury." explained the now named girl.

"Glad to meet you Haku. My name is Naruto, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto." introduced Naruto while wiping the sweat off his face. He removed his robe and folded it on the ground beside him.

"Nice to meet you Naruto. I haven't seen you around these parts. Are you new here?" asked Haku as she stepped closer to Naruto.

"Not really. We came here at the behest of Tazuna, the bridge builder." said Naruto.

"Oh. So you must be those ninja guys that the villagers were talking about. You must be very strong to stand up to Gato." complimented Haku as she seated herself on the ground and made herself comfortable placing the basket of herbs beside her.

Naruto followed her example and flopped down on the grass in front of her. He scratched his head in embarrassment. "No not really. I'm still new at this job. I was doing some training before you arrived."

"Really? From the looks of it, you are pretty strong already?" she gestured towards Naruto's muscled body that was quite visible with his fishnet shirt on.

Naruto blushed. "Nah. There is still plenty of room for improvement so I train whenever I can so that I can be stronger."

Haku gave him a long and speculative look. "Tell me Naruto, do you have any precious people back at your home?"

Naruto was confused at the question. He scratched his head and thought about it. "Well, I do have some precious people back in Konoha. I have the old man Hokage, the Ichiraku family, and my teammates. Why?"

"Hmmmm. A wise man once told me that one can get really strong if they have people they want to protect. I just want you to know that since I believe in that saying and since you are trying to get stronger, I'm sure that you would find it useful." explained Haku.

Naruto nodded. He agreed with what she said since that was a part of is original drive. Aside from wanting to be the strongest shinobi in the world, he wanted to be stronger than everyone so he can protect those who are precious to him.

The conversation afterwards was pleasant for both Naruto and Haku. Naruto talked about his life in Konoha though he chose to hide parts of it to avoid scaring his new friend. He also found out that Haku was an orphan from the Mist who ran away here to Wave with her friend to get away from the killings and war.

Naruto noticed that there were similar points in both their lives and he was somewhat happy that he met someone that clearly understood him. Unknowing to Naruto, Haku was feeling the same.

After an hour, Haku told him that she needs to leave soon and she still needs to pick some more herbs for her friend so Naruto offered to help her get the herbs she wanted. So an amused Haku left with a basket full of medicinal herbs courtesy of Naruto and his Shadow Clones.

Naruto kept his eyes trained on Haku as she walked towards the woods to leave the clearing they were in. When the last of her silhouette disappeared, Naruto shook his head and decided to continue his training but a voice interrupted.

"_**Wow kit, I never knew you were branching out."**_ said an amused Kyuubi.

Naruto rolled his eyes. _"Shut up you pervert."_ growled Naruto.

"_**Me? A pervert? Ha! I wasn't the one having dirty thoughts. Besides, I just want to congratulate you on your recent change."**_

This made Naruto raise a curious eyebrow_. "What recent change?" _

"_**Well, your blatant admiration for Haku. A looker." **_said Kyuubi as if it was the most obvious think in the world.

"_So? I'm a guy Kyuubi so its only Natural for me to admire the opposite sex." _Naruto defended himself.

"_**True, but you forgot one important fact."**_

"_What?"_

"_**My sense of smell never lie even when I have to channel it through you. Haku is a boy." **_revealed the now smirking fox.

"WHAT!"

* * *

><p>Naruto arrived back at Tazuna's house as dinner was about to be served. Everyone was shocked at his appearance. His robes were pretty much untouched and properly folded in his arms but his fishnet shirt and pants were pretty much torn up. The signs of a large fight were evident and the reason for it was the meeting that happened in the woods.<p>

He wouldn't have went overkill with his Training Tigers but the thought that he admired a _boy_ made his skin crawl and he really wanted to make himself forget by facing up with claws, paws, and fang. It was an amazing therapy and it really helped. He even made the tigers happy by asking them to up the training a bit. Sadistic furballs.

"Naruto! Where have you been? What happened to you?" Kurenai cried out when she saw Naruto walk through the door and saw his sorry state.

"Don't worry about it Kurenai-sensei. I'm just tired. I just got back from training." Naruto answered her tiredly while slumping down the couch.

"Training? No training will make you look like that!" complained the red-eyed Jounin. Sakura butted in before Naruto could open his mouth.

"Don't worry about Naruto, Kurenai-sensei. This is normal for him, trust me." She looked at Naruto. "You trained with the trio again didn't you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep. They were extra vicious today." He shuddered at what he went through with his 'training' plus the incentive why he wanted it that way. Naruto decided that his Training Tigers learned to be more sadistic at attacking Naruto every after each workout. He made a mental note to NOT tell them to up the training if their appetite for sadism is growing with every passing day.

Kurenai looked at Sakura as if she was crazy. "Explain!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto just trained with his tigers so there's no need to worry. I should know. The first time I saw him getting attacked by those tigers of his, I freaked out. He called it 'Dodge Training'"

Kurenai just nodded dumbly at the thought. Such training was alien to her so she decided not to press the issue.

Sakura trained her gaze back to Naruto. "Naruto, can we talk about something?"

Naruto looked at Sakura and saw that she was serious. He nodded. "Sure. Give me 20 minutes to bathe and change my clothes then meet me up in my room ok?"

Sakura nodded and Naruto left the living room to freshen up.

* * *

><p>After 20-minutes, Sakura knocked on Naruto's room as promised. She waited for a few seconds before the door opened to reveal a slightly wet Naruto wrapped in a towel. He wasn't wearing anything except a towel wrapped around his waist. Seeing the toned body of her blonde teammate made her blush a bit.<p>

Of course, Naruto was oblivious to it.

"Oh hi Sakura. Sorry haven't dressed yet. I wasn't able to take note of the time since I was enjoying the shower too much. Why don't you come in? I'll get back to you in a minute." said Naruto before dashing off to the table to grab his clothes then ran to the bathroom then locked it shut.

Sakura just shook her head and walked into the room. She noticed that Shino and Kiba's packs were also there as well. She sat down in one of the beds waiting for Naruto to come out of the bathroom.

Five minutes later, Naruto came out of the bathroom dressed in a white shirt and dark blue shorts. His hair was still slightly damp and the towel he used was draped on his shoulders. He flopped down on the bed in front of Sakura. "So Sakura, what do you want to talk about that seems important?" asked a curious Naruto.

Sakura hesitated for a bit before mustering up ever single drop of her courage and faced Naruto with determination in her eyes. "I want to become strong Naruto. I ask you again to help me train."

Naruto wasn't surprised at this since he noticed the small changes in Sakura ever since they took up the mission. He saw that the girl no longer followed Sasuke like a sick puppy or fawned over him when Sasuke got hurt during spars. It seems that the experience in the field made her change – a small change but a change nonetheless. He decided to give her the same test.

"You already know the condition of me helping you Sakura. You have to find your motivation why you want to be stronger." said Naruto in a calm voice.

Sakura nodded. "Ever since you told me that, I can't seem to get it out of my head. Ever since the fight with the Demon Brothers and Zabuza, I saw how useless I was at everything you guys did. I mean, you're not the only one who is strong. I saw that everyone else have their own strengths to contribute to the team. But me…" she looked down, depressed over her weakness.

Naruto just shook his head. "You have never been weak Sakura. You have the makings of a powerful shinobi of Konoha. You just don't have the right motivation to drive you forward. Again I will ask you the same question…why do you want to become strong?"

Sakura raised her head and looked at Naruto straight in the eye, determination burning behind them. "I want to be strong so I can protect myself. I don't want to be a burden anymore. I saw how weak I am and I don't ever want to feel the same way again. Naruto, I want you to help me become a strong Kunoichi. Strong enough to protect myself, my teammate, and those I love." declared Sakura in a voice that brook no nonsense.

Naruto grinned. "Correct answer Sakura." He channeled a bit of chakra towards his storage tattoo while thinking of a specific scroll. A poof of smoke startled Sakura a bit before seeing a pink scroll in Naruto's hand.

"What's that?" she pointed at the scroll that a grinning Naruto was holding.

"Oh this? This is a training plan for you. I made it when you first asked me that you want my help. I didn't give it to you because you haven't found the right motivation. Now that you have, I will give this to you to help you train. Everything you need to get you started on the basics is indicated on the scroll. I also included some training tools and a weapon that would fit you quite well along with some jutsus that I'm sure you can master with ease." explained Naruto as he handed the scroll to a stunned Sakura who was on the verge of tears.

Naruto stood up from the bed and moved towards the door but was stopped when he heard Sakura's voice.

"I won't fail you Naruto." declared Sakura in a strong voice.

Naruto smiled. "I'm sure you won't Sakura." He whispered before going out the door and closing it behind him, leaving a grateful and determined Sakura inside.

* * *

><p>(NEXT DAY)<p>

Naruto woke up pretty early compared to the rest. The conversation he had with Sakura last night was enlightening to say the least. He just hoped that she can handle the training schedule he devised for her. If she followed the instructions down to the last dot, he is sure that she would be a strong asset to the team in just a month.

After his morning routine in the bathroom, Naruto went downstairs and exited the house towards the garden to get his morning workout done. He stopped his training when Tsunami called him for breakfast. He was about to tell her to give him a few more minutes but his stomach growled against the idea. Deciding to give in to the monster in his stomach, he grudgingly trudged up back to the house and towards the kitchen.

Naruto found himself walking towards the bridge with Shino and Tazuna. It was his shift to watch out for the old man and it was quite a boring job. He wished Zabuza would just attack and get this over and done with and save him from the hell called boredom.

When they got to the bridge, Naruto noticed that they were fewer workers compared to his last guard duty. One of the workers wearing a straw hat similar to Tazuna's walked towards the old man with a depressed look on his face.

"Hello there Kinto. What can I do for you? Where are the rest of the workers? asked Tazuna, already knowing what this was about.

Kinto looked away, not meeting Tazuna's eyes. "Tazuna, I don't think I can work with you anymore."

Tazuna's face was still neutral but Naruto could see the anger, sadness, and determination behind those glasses. "Why? The bridge is almost finished. Two more weeks and we could have finished it and get away from Gato."

Kinto shrugged his shoulders. "I can't take it anymore old man. Gato is making it worst for everyone. Only a few are able to disregard his actions and continue to work with you. The others who left before me was already too stressed from his tyranny. I have to quit now before Gato set his eyes on my family. They are all I have." He pleaded with the old man.

Tazuna just nodded and clapped the man on the shoulder. "Don't worry Kinto. I won't hold it against you. Go back to you family. We'll get the bridge finished on time. Don't you worry."

Kinto gave Tazuna a grateful nod before walking past the old man and back to his waiting family. When the guy was out of sight, Tazuna's shoulder drooped and looked sadly at the few workers who were brave enough to lend him a hand. "If this keeps up, I'll have to finish the bridge by myself."

Naruto looked at the workers and back to Tazuna. "Hey old man, when you started out how many workers do you have?"

"Hmmmm I think I had around 50 of the guys working with me. Why do you ask?"

Naruto just ignored the question and fired back another. "With 50 workers, how long would it take to finish the bridge?"

Tazuna released a thoughtful frown and looked at the unfinished bridge. "I would say 2 more weeks if I had 50 workers with me." Naruto nodded.

"What if you had more? Do you think you could finish it early?"

Tazuna laughed. "Well kid, if I had a hundred workers then I can finish this bridge in a week or even less if they work fast. Why you ask kid?" Naruto gave him an evil grin.

"I think I can provide you with enough workers to get your bridge done in the shortest possible time." Now this interested Tazuna.

"Really kid? How do you intend to do that?" asked Tazuna, clearly humoring Naruto in thinking that a 'kid' can give him the worker he needs.

"With this." Naruto did his trademark seal and shouted.

**MASS SHADOW CLONE**

A large puff of smoke covered the bridge which cleared revealing 200 Narutos giving Tazuna a cheeky grin. Naruto nodded at the sight and looked at a gaping Tazuna.

"Well, old man. There's your workers, now why don't you take charge and get this bridge of yours done. They have my skill and strength so they can do what I can do to help you with everything you want. If you want more, all you need to do is ask."

It took a while for Tazuna to get out of his shock before thanking Naruto profusely. The blonde Genin just waved at him and told him to get on it already. With that, Tazuna started dividing the clones up for different tasks and got them to work.

Naruto and Shino were sitting on the piles of rocks in one corner of the bridge while watching Tazuna order the clones about.

"That was nice of you to help him out Naruto-san." said Shino.

Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment at being complimented. "Nah. I just want to give them all the help they need." Then his face turned serious. "I don't want these people to feel sad and depressed anymore. The sooner they finish this bridge and we finish off Gato, the better their life would be."

"Still, it was kind of you to lend a helping hand. Even I no longer consider this a mission but a service that needs to be rendered." said Shino as he returned his vigil over the bridge to keep watch of coming dangers.

Naruto just nodded and kept watch. He noticed that Tazuna was walking towards him with a sheepish yet huge grin on his face. "So what's up old man?" said Naruto cheerfully.

"Ummmm…I wonder if you can make more of these clones. Since I know you guys can walk on walls, I wonder if I can use more clones to check the underside of the bridge and possibly do some reinforcement jobs on it. I couldn't do it with the previous workers but with your skills, I can easily make the bridge stronger than ever." He added the last part with a proud grin.

"Sure old man. Glad to help."

Naruto created 200 more clones and told them to follow Tazuna's orders who thanked him before scooting off.

Shino just raised an eyebrow at how easy Naruto made these clones. If he did the technique with the same amount then he would be good as dead. He just shook his head at the thought and decided that Naruto was someone that can make the impossible possible.


	18. Important Announcement POLL UP

**Greetings, my beloved readers and followers;**

**First of all, I would like to thank everyone for your patronage of my fanstories, your many reviews and comments have helped in their development, and granted me a boon in learning and improving in the process.**

**The reason I am putting up this announcement is the lack of time I currently have to devote to my stories. Work and some issues raised its ugly head and demands quite a lot of my time, taking quite a chunk of my writing and brainstorming sessions.**

**This is why I decided to put up a poll to give you, my readers and followers, a chance to pick stories that you want me to work on. This doesn't mean that I won't be working with the rest, only that updates would be pretty slow due to the lack of time I have at my disposal.**

**Anyway, the poll is up and please pick three stories you want me to focus my attention on. The poll will be up for 2 weeks before I will post an announcement as to what stories will be updated.**

**That's it for now.**

**Cheers everyone.**

**Corruptmonk**


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